


Hollow knight: kinseeker

by Solgaleo35



Series: Kinseeker [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 13:29:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 28,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21339007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solgaleo35/pseuds/Solgaleo35
Summary: After 20 years of infection having consumed hallownest, darner, a wyrm who was once the head guard of hallownest, senses that the pale king is still alive, somewhere in another kingdom. He must venture across wastelands and explore strange landscapes in attempt to save his monarch.
Series: Kinseeker [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704544
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Darner traipsed across the bridge over the pools of acid. Looking deep into the corrosive lake, he was reminded of Isma. Her and Dryya had died at some point. He knew that they wouldn't get to see a rebuilt hallownest. As he was thinking about this, he approached the towering figure of Hegamol. Ze'mer and Hegamol had disappeared somewhere else. Hopefully, they'd return someday. The silk of his cloak rustled as he searched for the emblem he carried with him. Once he found it, he slotted it inside the stone effigy. The stone and metal scraped and turned. The entrance to the City of Tears had opened. Soft light crept from the path into the entryway, gently illuminating the shell of a fallen guard. Darner had wondering what had become of them in his absence. As he made his way through the capital he tried not to kill any of the infected husks in the hopes that once the radiant goddess had been slain, they would be back to the bugs that once were instead of dropping, lifeless. The rain felt good on darner. He liked water on his shell. The clean water of blue lake was filtered as it came down through the rocks, making the rain in the city pure, clear water that felt good. It rejuvenated him. As he came to the fountain of the Hollow Knight he wondered about the little vessel and Hornet. They were up in the vault far above, trying to free hallownest of the wrathful clutches of its Devine captor, The Radiance. Hopefully, they'd win despite them being outgunned significantly. That hadn't stopped the vessel in his prior exploits. Why should this be any different. He made his way across the city to the elevator shaft up to resting grounds. The cab ascended higher and higher. In one direction spanned a view of the heart of Hallownest, steeped in rain. In the other, the stone walls of the Kingdoms Edge. The ashen land was mostly home to few save for some areas, but darner had gone there to gaze upon the cast off shell in deep deep contemplation. The main attraction was of course the coliseum of fools, an arena filled with warriors. He, along with some of the great knights and guard would go to witness the battles. On occasion, he would partake in fights. Crowds of bugs would be whipped into a frenzy when he showed off his prowess and some of the fancy tools he'd had bestowed upon him. But he hadn't returned in a while. The crowds had become different. They had gained bloodlust. They spent their days watching others battle instead of rebuilding and hadn't cared about death and pain. The Lord fool that they had respected so had fallen and the bugs did not care. Wether through ignorance or apathy, they had let his husk lay there as a symbol of their absorption in the carnage that took place. The infection was also known to spread there. Darner had wondered if he had an immunity, having been consumed by it and not having succumbed, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. The cab reached the top of the shaft. The caverns and chasms of the resting grounds spanned out before him. He walked up through the tunnels filled with memorials of many who had been lost, passing some of the graves he had set out himself to the soldiers he had lost, their helmets that they had once worn sitting atop the stones. He navigated through the winding cemetery until the ceiling opened up to a yawning ravine. It led from the graves to Crystal Peaks. He flew up to the edge of the cliff and landed on the gem encrusted peaks. The purple crystals had a strange energy to them. The light seemed to be fading slightly and slowly from them. The radiance was the one who gave the crystals their energy. Without her they would be worth little more than vanity. The kingdom relied on these crystals for power and without them they would need an alternative source of energy. The caverns were wide and the walls glowed with the clear stones protruding out like sharp spikes and on occasion shooting out rays of light. Eventually, darner reached Hallownests Crown. He looked over the edge at the plains that stretched as far as the eye could see. He had bid everyone left farewell and he had visited all the places he had previously known, reminiscing all about the life that had escaped him. He was ready to fly the nest and venture off into the unknown. He had everything with him he needed and he had the knowledge he needed to travel safely. And yet, he felt something was missing. He looked back towards the kingdom and walked over to the ledge overlooking dirtmouth. Never did he think he would have to leave. That he would need to give up the safety of the land that had raised him for the harsh, unforgiving wastelands that lay beyond. Below, the town of dirtmouth, one of the last settlements of survivors lay below. Even though it was not stricken with infection, it seemed to be waning. Most of the doors were boarded up and few bugs roamed the streets. After looking down at the place he had spent his life in for a long moment. He rose to his feet and started towards the other cliff face but stopped in front of the statue of the radiance. Some bugs had told him that the radiance owned this land. That she was the rightful owner and the the pale beings were thieves. Darner knew that while the pale king took this land from her, it was done rightfully so. She was a tyrannical ruler who forced all under her to do her bidding. She was a tyrant. Everyone was her slaves. Why would anyone want her to lay claim to the kingdom? Her followers were doomed to live a miserable existence. They had no free will. They were mindless. What drove them to resist with such rage for the one who loved them while trying to submit to the one who treated them like tools? All it could've been was fear and deception. The way the ones plagued by the infection behaved was what the radiance wanted of everyone. Why would someone embrace such a fate? He was enraged by those who vehemently advocated for everyone to revert to their old ways and condemn the one who had given them life. The shade from the abyss would soon bring upon the goddess her well deserved retribution. All would be free at last. What would happen next he would find out upon his triumphant return. But for now, he would seek the one who had pushed back against the goddess in the first place. The vast lands stretched evermore in all directions. There were so many places to search. So much land to cover. So many kingdoms, all independent of each other. But he wasn't unequipped. Inside him was a strange sense. He wasn't sure how or why he had it, but somehow he was able to sense the presence of his monarch. He didn't know wether he was born with it or if he attuned to his power through his years of faithful service, but he somehow felt it deep inside him, and somehow he knew what it was that was calling him. He was ready to set off into the darkness with only his strange abilities to guide him. He set off, not looking back. The trek that he was made for had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

The barren plains were dusty and desolate. This ashen desert that made up the greater world was mostly dune upon dune of soot and cavernous rock, with the occasional life form that dare populate this limbo. Occasionally there was a toppled structure or delapidated campsite. Darner thought there must be a destroyed kingdom laying beneath at least a few of them, too far gone to restore, unlike his homeland. He considered returning to search these ruins before realizing that it wouldn't be worth it for him. Another thing he could spy were lights far, far off in the horizon, each one it's own land. "Hopefully better off than us" Darner muttered to none but himself as he walked through the purgatory-esque landscape. He needed humour to help balance out the ocean of grey that enveloped him. Eventually, he began to tire. He had been travelling as fast as he could across the ashen fields. He had flown at top speed for longer than he ever had before, although he didn’t really have the room for that. Darner felt lethargic. Where could he rest, though? Up ahead he noticed a ruinous structure. There were what looked to be houses abandoned long ago, reduced to rubble that could barely be distinguished from natural pebbles and stones that surrounded them. Darner hurried his pace as much as he could while tired out, making his way to the derelict hamlet in around ten minutes. Upon his arrival, he searched for a place to lie amongst the dilapidated structures and found a bench. It was made of rusted metal that had been sanded down by the winds that blew the rugged crags. With a creak that reverberated throughout the long-silent alleyways, darner lay down for his well-deserved rest. 

The sky glowed a bright orange. There appeared to be a large glowing ball in the sky. It looked to be the sun but there were clouds behind it. Below him was a stone platform floating in the sky above the whispy clouds. Around him pillars jutted out high into the air and horn like arches reached for the golden light. He rose to his feet. Suddenly, a tremble shook the air as wings rose from the ball of light. A flash of sparkle exploded from the winged orb before appearing right before him. The bright glow dimmed to reveal a large moth-like being. It had piercing yellow eyes surrounded by murky black and pointed legs and a crown of spikes atop its head. He knew that he was face to face with the forgotten light itself, The Radiance. “I am ready to forgive. Please do not help the thieves. Keep my memory safe and not me nor you shall perish...” It then dissolved into the dawn. As it disappeared, the shades of many vessels appeared around him. There were two that were bigger than the rest that stood right in front of him. One was the Pure Vessel and the other looked to be the ghost he had witnessed wandering Hallownest. A strange voice seemed to speak from somewhere “do not listen. She has been destroyed. Please, remember me. Remember us. Goodbye.” Just then, all the spirits of void faded away until only the Hollow Knight was left, standing in front of him. He reached for its hand and started to softly cry. “Thank you. You made the ultimate sacrifice for us. I’m sorry. There was no other way. Please forgive me. Forgive us. I wish I could fix you. I will return. We will make everything better. You will finally be able to get what you wished for. What we couldn’t give you. I promise.” 

Darner woke up groggily. For the first few seconds he was confused about the alien landscape he had awoken in before coming to and remembering the pilgrimage he had embarked on. The surge that had guided him here was strong. He was getting closer. Darner got up off the bench and stretched. His stomach growled for sustenance. He searched and found a few bugs. A mosscreep, a tiktik, a maskfly, a few vengeflies and a gruzzer. Satisfied with the prey he had gotten his hands on, he sat down to eat. Ahead of him lay a short leg of the voyage. After he finished his meal, he set off.


	3. Chapter 3

The gruelling walks through the dreary outcroppings were more than enough to leave one desolated. Darner had never bargained for such a journey, but in his head, the ends justified the means. “No cost too great”, he would say, quoting the words of his superior. Often, he was left to his own thoughts. One of the biggest questions was about the dream that had transpired the prior night and the battle it had concerned. Had The Radiance perished? Did the gendered child and the Pure Vessel survive? He desperately hoped so. He wanted to do what he could for the poor knight. It’s whole life it had been a choice of wether to neglect it or to risk everyone’s safety and many lives. And of course there was Hornet. He had lost too many others that were important to him. And there was what was going on after that decisive duel.  
Had they begun to rebuild? Had the denizens of Hallownest that had fallen prey to the infection become free to live and think once again or had they simply died, the accursed light taking their last bit of life with it? And of course, there was the question of Meadowhawk. The vessel had been promised a better life and yet they had been left alone so many times. First they had been left a wanderer with nobody else to protect them after darner had fell to the plague, and now he had been abandoned again as the one who cared for them left to seek somebody else. Darner loved his little vessel like a child and it broke his heart to see what hardships it had been forced to endure. He hoped when this was all over, he could go back home and finally give Meadowhawk the attention he had not been able to give. He hoped he could make it up to the Hollow Knight and give the poor pure vessel the love he had so desperately deserved. But he had to leave all that behind. The strange lands he was heading were going to be difficult to cope with. At last, his destination was in sight. Before him stood the gates to a place he had never imagined. The large doors stood there like a monolith. They were carved with intricate designs. Around it were pillars of bronze and brass and beautiful wooden statues. The doorway seemed to lead to a stairway underground. Darner felt ready to tackle this task. He breathed a heavy sigh as he grasped the handle. The large gateway opened to the descending spiral. It was time.


	4. Chapter 4

The large doors lay heavy in his hands. They reluctantly went opposite ways from each other to expose a stairwell long and dark. Down he went, his feet sounding against the cold stone that lay below. A large noise shuddered the air as the door slammed shut. The shaft was at first enclosed by walls of solid rock before giving way to a cavernous expanse. All around the area teemed with life. For the first time in a while darner was surrounded by living, breathing creatures. It felt great. At the bottom of the stairway was what appeared to be the gated walls that surrounded a city like a bug was encrusted by a shell to protect it. Outside the entryway stood what looked to be a troop of soldiers. It brought back fond memories of training his own army of royal guards for the pale king. His head was abuzz with nostalgia for the days before the world he knew fell from below him. Suddenly, one of the guards seemed to falter, causing the one next to him swung his nail, hitting and injuring him. Thinking the one at the lead would help the one who tripped up, Darner was mortified to witness the commander instead swing at the disciple that had slipped up with a heavy blow, knocking him away. The guard was sent back, near where Darner was hiding. He dashed through the grass and earth towards the wounded soldier silently like a hunter seeking its prey. At once he emerged, causing a shock he had expected. The guards wings looked torn and had some fraying around the edges and his helmet was cracked and dented. “Sorry. My name is Darner. I came from a different kingdom seeking my king. I’ve just arrived here and would like to know about this place. I can get you patched up, too.” Said darner. Although hesitant and somewhat fearful at first, the knight replied “I’m Antlion. This is the kingdom of Crestmound. The king here is named Lightbringer. What’s it like where you came from?” Darner explained all about hallownest, about the radiance and the infection, about the pale king, about what happened when he lost him, and about his days spent as a wanderer, all the while healing antlions wounds using the basic medical techniques he was required to learn as a guard. Oddly enough, the guard seemed surprised by some of the luxuries and privileges that were granted to him by the Pale King. Even the simplest pleasures that he took for granted seemed to astonish him. Something seemed off, with the way he was surprised by some of the simpler things in life and by the way the captain had treated him. This place was not friendly. The lands around him were hostile and it was up to him to tame them.


	5. Chapter 5

The care he gave to the guard was pretty basic, but he knew it’d help at least until he could get something better in town. “I-I don’t think I’ve heard of any wyrms roaming around the kingdom.”, antlion spoke. The two headed off into the walled off town. There they parted ways. Antlion headed off to a place where he could get some better help whilst darner went off searching for clues to the location of the one he was searching for. The cobbled streets felt strange. The small settlement seemed to have 3 parts to it. There was a quaint little housing area, a bright little area with shops and other things, and a dark, shady area that seemed more run down than any other part of the small town. While he walked, darner was pursued by a horrible stench of filth and decay. At first he thought it to be the town that smelled like that, but darner soon realized that it was himself. The ruins he spent the night at must’ve made his cloak and shell musty and dirty. Luckily, the town had a hot spring. The wyrm headed off to the spring down the roads. The inhabitants passed him by, going about their days. Soon, darner arrived at the steamy pools of water and climbed in. Darner felt rejuvenated by the clear water as it soaked his shell and wings. It felt great to get to experience such a wonderful feeling, especially after such a long trek and with the search that lay ahead. Slowly, he allowed his consciousness slip away. 

He rushed to the door, confident. The doors burst open with a fury as darner stamped in, stopping in the door frame. Across the room was a strange bug seated high in a throne. He was tall in stature and was adorned with many ornaments. His abdomen seemed to let off a slight glow. Below his throne stood the pale king, wounded. He was bound in place by nails fastening him in place by his shell and flesh. Above him stood a hooded bug holding a sharp nail like object that looked to cause immense pain. It was aimed to deliver a long, painful and yet lethal blow. Darner was locked in a stalemate fuled by his own loyalty. Strike and the hostage will perish. Was he going to fail again at the goal he promised? They knew if he did he would not have the strength to kill them. They had him powerless in the palm of their hand. Darner started to feel weak, as his eyes glazed over and his body felt limp. Heat rushed over his insect body and finally, at once, he collapsed to the floor. 

Darners eyes opened to expose his surroundings. He clambered out of the spring, dripping wet. He sat on a nearby bench to dry off, his hard shell glistening and his cloak heavy. As a wyrm, darner oftentimes had visions of the future. Sometimes they would be direct snapshots of events to come whereas others they would be cloaked in symbolism. At home darner had a guide and a journal he kept of these visions. Darner had left it at his house. He hadn’t packed much in the way of supplies. He only brought with him his void nail and the stuff in the silken pockets of his cloak. The water ran down his shell, dripping off through the bench onto the cold stone below. A quick buzzing could be heard every so often as he quickly beat his wings back and forth to help get some of the water off them. He contemplated the prophecy his mind had thrust upon him, wether or not it even depicted the future, symbolism of what was to come or an abstract scene from the reaches of his mind, although it felt too real to be the latter. Who was the bug sitting at the throne? Where did it take place? Would he be able to save the king before it was too late? With the last bit of water off his robes and shell and his wings dry enough to take flight once again, he got up and started heading down the alleys of the town. He was looking for a cartographers that he could purchase a map from. “Tailors, blacksmith, mason, bookshop, here we are, clearwings’s mapmakers” just as he extended his arm, he felt a slam come from behind him, knocking him off balance. He grasped the nail in its sheath and turned around to see it was only antlion, his wings taped up in a cast of sorts. “Sorry, I’m still a little off balance and clumsy with this heavy cast on my wings. I was looking for you. I thought you might need a little of our local currency we use here in Crestmound. Here, we use venn.” The soldier said in a huff. He opened his hand to reveal a thick but short twig and a thin disc of wood, both covered in some sort of glass or resin. “I see you were planning on going to this map shop here. I’ll buy you a map with my own money and give you 30 venn for the road. How does that sound?” He said, dropping the small pieces of wood into his hand. “That twig is worth 10, and the disc is worth 20.” Darner dropped them into his pocket and rustled around. He pulled out a geo and dropped the small bug fossil in the awaiting palm of his newfound acquaintance. “This is a geo. Back home we use them for currency. Thanks for all your gracious gifts.” Darner said. “It’s really nothing. You saved my life or at least a lot more pain.”, replied antlion. Darner froze. “What? You mean the head guard would have hurt you more!” He said, flabbergasted at what treatment his friend had received. Antlion went into detail about what his training was like and what the guards did to him and his fellow trainees. The entire time darner sat listening intently and giving passionate  
Responses to all the things the other bug brought up. “If I may ask, why does it seem that my guard duty is such a topic of interest for you?” The bug said when he was done talking about his life as a knight. “Well, I actually used to be the captain of the guard back in hallownest. It’s where I got given this fancy void nail by the king” Darner replied whilst drawing his void nail. “OOOH. We actually don’t use nails here, but instead a similar weapon called a serratun.” He drew a weapon that resembled a nail that had been cut in half. “The flat edge is used for blunt hits while the angled one is sharp.” After showing off their weapons to each other, they slid them back into their holders and walked into the mapmakers. Draped across the walls were various different maps of varying locations and detail, all in many different sizes and material. Some printed on canvas, some on wood, some on fabric. At the far end of the room was a large bug sitting at the desk drinking a steaming mug of coffee. Behind him were grubs tirelessly working away at looms and presses, weaving tapestries and printing charts and maps. Antlion walked up to the counter as darner stared around the room. “I’ll take a marked map of the kingdom on the most heavy duty material you have, please” antlion said to the insect at the counter. “One mapestry with detail markings, heavy duty” the bug hollered back at the grubs at the back. Darner came up to the counter to watch them work as his friend paid for the map. Wheels spun and thread looped, paint stained and dyed. Soon, the map was ready for darner to use. It felt strong and tough, similar to rope. They walked out of the shop together, thanking the staff that had helped them. “I’d best be on my way. The doctor said I should get some rest so my wings can heal. It was nice meeting you. Hope to meet again sometime.” Antlion said once they were outside. Darner said his goodbyes to him as he ran off towards the residential areas, waving all the way. Once he had departed, darner sat down at the nearest bench to look at the map of the kingdom. Crestmound was big and strange. Where he would end up next would be all up to him.


	6. Chapter 6

The kingdom was vast and winding. There were many different areas. The diverse areas varied wildly, from an ice cavern to a lake of pure magma surrounded by crystals and rare metals. Nearby the town he was staying at there seemed to be an underground jungle. Darner thought it might be a good place to start his search. Out he went through the city gates and off into the forest. Underfoot was thick mud. It had reminded darner of the lakebed where the wyrm shell that he had emerged from lay. He remembered gaining consciousness all of a sudden, digging his way through a layer of silt and mud. He remembered escaping into the lake and witnessing the lakebed, the bottom littered with dozens of other bug shells and creatures swimming about with the jaws of his past self and some bits of its gray flesh exposed to the elements. He remembered swimming to the surface to witness a world he had been released back into. In his reminiscing he had forgotten to watch where he was walking and had stepped down into some soft yet strong mud. He tried pulling his leg free. He tried again, freeing it before releasing it and stepping down, making it sink back to where it was before. He finally pulled his foot free and attempted to Walk away not knowing his other leg was now stuck, tripping and faceplanting. Inconveniently, there was a puddle of water where his face landed, causing the water to soften the soil. His face landed in the mud with an embarrassing sound. Darners wings fluttered in shame. The damp earth oozed around him. Some creature hopped across his back like a log. Water dripped onto the back of his head. He slid and crawled across the mud like he was swimming. For once he envied orgrims habit of burrowing through the thick waste he spent his time in. Chunks of moist soil stuck to him as he trudged and crawled. It slicked out of his way heavy and firm. Finally he had reached the edge of the mud pit. He climbed out awkwardly and breathed a big sigh. The mud coated his cloak. He swiped some of it off but most of it remained. He travelled through the undergrowth with all but his dignity. Being a wyrm and having served a monarch like the pale king, he thought that he was supposed to be above floundering helplessly like that, but apparently not. He pushed his self doubts to the back of his mind and pulled back out his map. He had a route that he was going to travel. He would start here and head to the ice caverns through a tunnel. From there he would head to the sandpits and then to the magma river. From there he would go to the lake and finally to the tar pits. With his route planned out in his head, he felt a lot better. Ahead was the tunnel he was looking for. He stepped in with a splurch when a laughing shook the trees. A little ways Behind darner stood a black and pink striped bug. She was tall and thin and had clear blue wings. “Sorry, sorry. I saw your print in the mud and I wish I could’ve seen you make it. The names lacewing. What brings you here?” Darner introduced himself and explained the whole situation with hallownest and the fall and the journey thus far. “So let me get this straight. You came to save some bug who is married to a tree that had an affair in the midst of a zombie apocalypse!” Lacewing said, doing everything in her power to stop herself from dropping to the floor in hysterics. “Come with me to the wasp nest. Were there wasps back in hollownest?” She prodded, trying to regain her composure. Darners mind flashed back to the hive. To Queen Vespa, who had become a prisoner in her own palace. Lacewing snapped her fingers in his face. “Helllooo, answer the question.” “Yeah-y-yeah we had bees back home, but we didn’t go to the hive because they wanted sovereignty and the Queen didn’t leave and eventually became trapped in her chamber due to her size.” Darner replied. This set lacewing off even more, causing her to completely lose it and drop to the floor while laughing so hard she sounded like she was hyperventilating. “The Queen couldn’t fit through her own front door? Pathetic” she choked out. “I’ll take you back to our colony. We are not at all like them, I promise. The queen can fit through her door anytime she wants” he followed lacewing through the underbrush until he reached a small town. It was a bunch of homes made of wax, paper and wood surrounding a large central nest that looked to belong to the queen. “Those are the homes, of course. Those buildings over there are the nurseries where the young are cared for during the day while the parents are working. Everyone goes to the workshops during the day, unless you’re a guard, a forager, which is my job, a servant or a caretaker at the nursery, obviously. Mostly we work with wood, paper, resin, wax, stone. Basically, whatever we can find in the jungle.” Lacewing explained. “But lately we’ve been avoiding the jungle. Something about a carnivorous plant monster with loads of tendril like vines that spits acid at you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter I’ve began a sideplot.

The queen wasp was a large bug with black and yellow stripes. She wore a dress with a black and yellow hexagonal pattern. she spoke in a very formal manner to her subjects. “This is darner. He came here from another kingdom although I think he might be a crazy.” Said lacewing, to darners chagrin. “Allow me, your honour. I have come from a faraway kingdom seeking my king. I was separated from him after falling in the line of duty. I am ever so relived to find that he is alive and well somewhere in this kingdom.” Said darner. The queen replied “I am honoured to make your acquaintance. Perhaps we could converse over dinner. Cooks, prepare us a feast, maids run the baths so our guest here can wash up.” “But sire, food rations are running out.” Said one of the servants. “Oh it’ll be fine, we’ll figure it out soon. It’s not every day that we have such an esteemed guest.” The queen replied. One of the maids came up to darner. “Go, take a rest and get cleaned up. Supper will be ready for you shortly.” 

Darners plate was filled to the brim with foods he had never even seen. He preferred the food to the scraps he had been able to scavenge out in the wilds, although he enjoyed the hunt and missed the feeling of finding, catching and killing his food. It was a primordial thrill he couldn’t get rid of even as a civilized bug of high stature. The conversation was tilted towards darner for most of the. He explained and answered set to the clanking of silverware. Once he had exhausted his tales, he turned the conversation back on the queen and asked what had happened with the foragers. “Well, there are reports of a carnivorous plant the likes of which has never been seen before. Allegedly it has a large maw surrounded by flower petals it can close over its jaws to protect itself and has many, many long, tangling vines, some of which have mouths on the ends of them. It is known to spread dreadful spores all over and spit acid at attackers. Whenever it feels threatened, it burrows underground, making us unable to hurt it.” The queen responded. After mulling it over, darner spoke “I think I might be able to take down your plant. Give me tonight to rest and plan and I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.” 

“Look into the light. What do you see?” A voice spoke.   
Darner was in the throes of a dream. A dream he had forgotten long ago. The dream that came to him after he fell in battle.   
Darner stared into the light. It felt intoxicating. Invigorating. His footsteps rang through as he stepped ever closer to the abyssal glow. Then, a bright white flash appeared that contrasted with the golden hues of the sky around him as his vision went dark. Blackness stretched around him. White lines started to coil around him, forming strange shapes. What looked to be bright glowing eyes peered at him. Then, the room went white. Black figures stood around him. A golden glow appeared above him as several purple rings surrounded darner. Black ropes started to coil around the ball of light but it remained as strong as it was. The ball of light and the rings surrounding darner disappeared into a puff of sparkles. The black silhouettes deformed into shadowy blobs and sank into the ground.

Darner slowly rose in the bed that had been freshly made for him and stretched out his arms. Suddenly, his hand was met with a cold, burning, stinging sensation that made him recoil and begin to writhe. “It can’t be that bad.” Said lacewing, who was apparently looking at his stuff. Truly it wasn’t that horrible a pain, but it was amplified by the shock of having just awoken from a deep slumber. Suddenly, an idea arose to his mind. “That’s it! I could use my void nail to defeat the plant thing!” Darner exclaimed, having forgotten about the sting he had just felt. “Great. What else were you planning on killing it with? A twig?” Said lacewing sarcastically. “I mean I could use the void against it.” Darner said. “Okay. And when you fail, your body will be all nice and dissolved so we don’t have to bury you.” Said lacewing. “Not likely” said darner, walking out the door.

Later that day, after they had eaten and gotten ready, one of the guards led him to the plant that was terrorizing them all. Darner walked up to it. Slowly, vines curled around him as the massive flower bud opened to reveal a large maw. The, wasps looked on in fear. Darner looked confident, making a small jump to the side and landing atop one of the vines. The plant reacted by coiling it’s tendrils around his body. He tried slicing them but they kept growing back. He tried stabbing at the mouth but the petals closed on him as he stumbled back off the shifting ground. It then grabbed him and dropped its arm inside its mouth before closing its jaw and pulling out the vines. All seemed to be lost until the plant began to wilt. Suddenly, the void nail burst out through the plants enclosed mouth as acidic juices sprayed everywhere. Darner slipped out, wet but unharmed. “H-h-how did you do that? That acid is super corrosive!” Said lacewing, shocked at what he had achieved. “Ismas tear. Its a special item someone gave me back in hallownest.” Darner replied, stepping across the shrivelled vines. 

Later that day, after being thanked by the denizens of the wasp town, he headed back to the cave. “You seemed like a mister lame when I first saw you, but now I see a little bit of goody two shoes mr.perfect in you. It’s an interesting duality, to say the least. Why don’t I journey with you?” Lacewing said from behind darner. “Sure.” He said. At once, they were off as not one, but two. 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

They stood at the foot of his bed, motionless and tall. Their white eyes bored daggers into his pale face. “They messed with what they should have left alone. He meddles with things that he doesn’t understand. His fight against karma will be futile. Look at what they have done to you.” They said in a deep, warped sounding voice. They stepped closer to him. He pulled the covers higher to defend himself. His little pet aspid that had rested on his nightstand flew up to them, but they swatted it with ease. They reached out a hand in his direction “Join us. Unite. Become one.” 

The light crept in through Meadowhawks eyes as he gently opened them. He kept having nightmares about creatures from the abyss that would try and convince him to become one with them and to seek revenge on his beloved friends. He sat up and reached over to his bedside table. There sat his little aspid hatchling asper. He cupped the small bug in his hands and stroked him gently. Usually when he would have nightmares he would go to darner, but he had left to go look for someone else. Meadowhawk understood this, as the event that separated darner from the one he was looking for was also the one that separated the vessel from his caretaker. The infection had taken a toll on everyone, really. The streets had become rubble and the homes were wrecked. There were empty shells littering the streets and insects wandering the paths, confused. There was a dedicated search squad looking for survivors amongst the ruins and a repair party that went around fixing the dilapidated structures. Dirtmouth was the designated rendezvous point for anyone found roaming the kingdom. Meadowhawk headed down to the stagways and headed up to the town, his tiny buzzing companion following all the way. He wanted to do something special for the kingdom. He wanted to show everyone that vessels weren’t husks of a bug. That they weren’t as good is the dead that littered the ground. He wanted everyone to know he was still there and he could do everything anyone else could. What could he do? The old stag jolted to a halt as he reached the station. He disembarked the stag and stood on the lift. The light filtered through the windows. He could her the queen and dung defender having a hurried conversation outside. “She was just gone. No note, nobody was told anything. Just one day here and gone the next” the white lady said. “She couldn’t have gone to help darner.” Orgrim replied. “I think she would’ve told someone. You don’t think someone could’ve taken Hornet” the queen responded. The two seemed too wrapped up in the princesses disappearance for Meadowhawk to ask him what task he should preform today. He instead approached the pure vessel. It was sitting on a bench. Meadowhawk stepped up to the larger vessel. “I-I want to do something for hallownest. I want to do something for vessels. Do you know of anything I could do?” Asked the smaller vessel. “The abyss. There are lost vessels. Save them.” The hollow knight offered, having learned to speak shortly before. Meadowhawk nodded and thanked the elder vessel, walking off back into the stagways. “Hidden station”, he told the stag, and with a thundering of feet, he was off.


	8. Chapter 8

The tunnel was dark and cramped. It wound and twisted through the rocks. Eventually, they reached a chasm. They both jumped down one after the other, fluttering their wings to slow their descents. Darner landed to fast and collided with the ground in a heap, whereas lacewing landed gracefully and gently. In front of them laid a lever labeled “lift” was dimly illuminated by the light above it. There was a duplicate lever at the top of the shaft. The light at the end of the tunnel lay straight ahead. 

The caverns grew colder and the ground was covered in snow and ice. It looked like massive crystals made up the landscape. Darner came running out of the cave. He had thought the ground wouldn’t be slippery. His feet slipped out from under him and flew up as his face collided with the frozen ground. He slid crown-first a short distance before becoming lodged in a snowbank. “Have you even seen ice?” Lacewing asked. “Not enough to walk on” he replied, although too muffled to make out. 

They walked through the snow, darner tailing behind trying to waddle across the ice. “Where does all this ash come from? Did something die here?” “No” lacewing told him. “It’s ice. How could you not know that?” “There wasn’t snow back in hallownest” Darner retorted. 

The cold, icy walls of a city came into view. A big stone sign that read “welcome to iceburrow” stood in front of it. They crossed the gates and looked around the town. There stood a few grubs that were partially encased in ice. Darner charged up to one, shattering the ice around it. It was flung out into a snowdrift. It immediately retaliated with a strange thread which sloppily wrapped around his body and covered him with a thin layer of frost. His joints felt stiff: “What would possess you to just smash another bugs ice cocoon like that. It took me hours to make that.” Said the grub. Lacewing walked up to him, sighing and facepalming. “What are you annoyed about now? Me trying to be kind” Darner said. “Kindness? More like blatant stupidity” lacewing replied. 

The streets were lined with flakes of crystallized water all piled up high. The signs hung out into the streets and boulevards. They came to one that read “the frosty centipede tavern.” “This way. We might find some information inside” said lacewing, pulling him in through the door.

Darner rarely ever had alcohol, only drinking at special occasions. The liquid was bitter and slid down his throat in a strange way. They stayed and tried to eke out some information, while also trying to have as good a time as he could. He explained his reasons to have come there and his dreams he had had upon his arrival. “Wait” said a voice from behind darner. “You say that they had a serratun that was made with precision? There are lots of master weaponsmiths down by the molten rivers. They might know who the weapon was made for.” Darner questioned wether or not it would work, but it may have been his only lead. They told him about how to get there and what they should bring. At the end of the night they settled their tab and then asked if there was a room for them to stay the night in. The tavernkeep told them there was, and they agreed to stay there. The two travellers retired to their rooms. 

“So, I guess we’ll be changing up our route then.” Said darner. He was sitting at the desk looking at the route they’d take. Lacewing was laying on one of the two beds in their room. They’d just met and didn’t feel comfortable sharing. They paused for a bit doing their own things before lacewing spoke. “Y’know, I cant really seem to understand why you decided to come here seeking this person. Couldn’t you have just come to terms with your losses.” “It’s because It was because of my failure that we ended up in this situation. I’ve wondered a lot about what would’ve become of the world had I succeeded. Would all the pain and suffering have never happened?” Darner replied. “The thought that my failure might have ended up costing so many lives haunts me. I just feel like I never want to make mistakes. I feel like I need to be perfect.” “That would explain a lot.” Lacewing replied.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Can you hear me? It hurts. Please, help me. Please listen.” Voices muttered. Meadowhawk approached the large door. Inside, quiet whispers that he could not identify came from the other side. What was making them? Vessels? Shades? Were they echoes of voices long forgotten? Or were they something else entirely? Memories he had rather disliked flooded back to his mind as if the door he had opened was a dam that released darkness upon him. He hopped across the platforms floating suspended in the void when a black shape darted into him, knocking him into mid air. Meadowhawk collided with the ground. Black goop leaked from his cracked shell onto the broken skulls. His vision went fuzzy and his head felt light and nauseated. His ears rang loudly. He was angry at himself. He should’ve known from his dreams that the void would try to consume him. Why did he try going to the abyss? Darner had done so much work to stop him from dying in the abyss, And now he was going to perish in the deep empty rift. He had wanted to do something for others but hadn’t even managed that. Resigned to his fate, he let his mind go to a blank. This was really the end, he thought. A tear of ink rolled down his cheek as he whispered “I’m sorry.” 

Slowly, his senses returned. At first, all he could see is blackness. Then, sensations began to return to him. He could feel the broken shells below him. he slowly awoke and rose to his feet. Staring at him was another vessel. It had a cloak that dragged on the ground, two long horns with 4 smaller spikes below them and Meadowhawk weakly pushed himself upright.”thank you. I came here to save you. I was pushed by something. I will take you to safety and come back for more to rescue.” 

He beckoned the stag. Clomping down the tunnel came a young steed as opposed to the old one he had usually seen. It was likely one of the hatchlings found in the stag nest they were training. Meadowhawk hopped on its back and gestured for the other vessel to follow suit. Although hesitant at first, it hopped on. It had never seen a creature like this one. Meadowhawk hadn’t wanted to return to dirtmouth with only a single vessel, but he needed help if he wanted to go back down there. Being able to see the faces of the ones he loved again was more important than gathering others and then not being able to make it back out of the abyss. The fall earlier had scared him quite badly. He was filled with emotion that he would be able to return to the one who gave him feeling. The one who gave him thought. The one who gave him life. The exit to the surface drew closer on the horizon. He was ready to show this vessel the wider world and to gather others to help him get more.


	9. Chapter 9

The dreams darner had were different than the usual. They were strange, nonsensical and even frightening. But he was glad to be free of his worries and fears. The desire for the old hallownest, the one he knew and loved. The knowledge that it would never come back. That many would never see the beauty and happiness return harrowed him. It was a struggle against his own self. 

The sparkles of light that reflected off the snow out the window rushed to his eyes as he gently opened them. Cold air hit his face as he became aware of the sensations over his body. As per normal, it took a few seconds for his recollection of the area he was in to come. Travelling outside had been a foreign concept. The idea of going to new lands was still fresh in his mind. “Awake?” Said lacewing. “Good, lets go.” 

The footprints trailed in the snow as the town crept farther and farther. They had provisions and were heading to the tunnels that would lead to the molten city of thernac. They had been fed and had bought food and water for the trip. Darner had gotten a heavy, warm green cloak for the trek across the tundra, although it wouldn’t have been needed as they would soon reach a place where the temperatures would scale to heights the likes of which had never been seen before back in hallownest. “Thank you for accompanying me. It’s been a hard while. The infection may have spared my life, but I don’t think I’ll ever be the same, deep down inside. So many bugs are dead. Gone. I’m haunted by all the pain and suffering back home.” Darner said, trying to break the silence. “I understand” said lacewing, to darners surprise. “To tell you the truth, I’ve wanted to explore too. That’s why I decided to join you. Honestly, I can see why you feel this way. I can’t imagine what you and your friends must’ve been through. I’m sorry. Thank you for being so open about it.” “Thank you. It’s been on my mind a lot lately.” , Darner replied

They stepped out into the rocky ledges surrounding the molten river. The boiling lake was liquid rock, metal and crystal all mixed together into one big, fiery orange soup. Darner took one long look at it before stepping back and collapsing to the ground. Visions of the disgusting sights that he had seen came to him. The orange glowing liquid looked like a lake of pure infection. Sights that had come to him from the bowels of his mind and memories from the wreck of his previous life that had been ravaged by this plague flashed in his eyes. All his worries and fears manifested themselves. The ones he had buried. Forms resembling those he had once known wandering. The unsureness of the future. It all beat against his mind. “In-I-infection” he weakly cried. Lacewing wasn’t sure what to do. How to get him to get back up again? 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“What happened to you” the white lady gasped, surprised. She looked in shock and horror at Meadowhawks cracked shell. He told her he came back up to get someone else to help him search the abyss and asked if someone would come with him, but she vehemently refused to let him leave. She took him down to the city of tears instead and left the other vessel with orgrim. They bandaged his shell up and left him under the watch of some of the surviving sentries. Meadowhawk plotted what he should do. He couldn’t just sit here. He decided to take a walk to clear his head. The sentry agreed as long as he followed. 

The rubble of the white palace felt... alluring. It drew him closer and filled his mind with questions. How could someone be consumed by the infection and yet come out unharmed? How could an entire palace just... vanish? It didn’t make any sense. There were empty husks of royal retainers scattered amongst the rubble, their eyes stained with inky blackness. There was also the armour of a couple kingsmoulds, inky black tendrils seeping through the cracks. What had happened here, all that time ago. Meadowhawk walked across the rubble, his eyes fixed on the ground. His eye caught a tattered gray garment laying there. He grasped at the stones. It appeared to be stained with some strange substance. There was also signs of infection, although the infection itself had died off. The vessel looked over and glanced at a puddle nearby. He crawled over to it and reached his arm to touch it. The liquid felt like it was a part of him yet also separated from him entirely. That was when it hit him. This was void. It wasn’t an attack, but a battle that had taken destroyed this place. A battle between light and dark.


	10. Chapter 10

Lacewing backed up and sat down at the ledge overlooking the magma flow. Her legs were tickled by the heat radiated by the lake. Darner soon followed. He hadn’t really had much time to just sit down and take in this land he’d probably never return to. “Thank you” Darner said “ I know I’ve reiterated it countless times but I’ve found it so hard to cope with the death and pain. Everyone has. The queen locked herself away and bound herself. One of my only friends left hides away in the sewers. Meanwhile I’ve gone chasing visions and senses. It’s all a mess, but it’s our little mess and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smiled a smile that said that, while the pain was still there, it was at the very back of his mind. “His face though... the face of sheer terror and pain the king had when he realized I had failed him. The face when he knew He was going to die. I-I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forget it. Actually, I did immediately forget it, but only for a while, but I also forgot who I was and all that so there’s that.” He said. “Now, should we find a way across this lava lake?” “There’s no rush” lacewing replied while placing her hand on top of darners, her gaze transfixed on the crystals on the wall directly opposite to them as they glistened with the glow of the lava. “Tell me more about what it was like in hallownest”

Eventually, darner stood up. “We should try and find a way across the lake of fire. I can continue talking while we search the banks.” He said. They both started down the singeing shores, still chatting away at their conversation. “Thank you for listening to me. I don’t know why but it’s been so taxing on me. I can’t seem to accept that some are dead. It’s like needing to cross a narrow chasm but your wings are sopping wet. You know what you need, you have the ability to do it, but you just can’t.” Darner said. “The dreamers, the knights, all of their fates have been sealed. Why can’t I wrap my head around that.” A sign approached in the distance. It read “magma ferry.” Below was a short bug sitting in a stone boat. “Great. Let’s catch a ride on one of them.” Said lacewing.

They travelled down the searing flow, the small bug at the front paddling away. They passed through tunnels. Eventually, a strange scraping and clicking could be heard. The ceiling shook and eventually a creature popped out before going back into its hole. Cracks began to spread out from the hole, dislodging a large rock on the roof of the cavern. It fell towards the lava, primed to create a spray of molten rock at the passers by. Lacewing and the big at the head of the boat cowered when, I’m a flash of white light, it burst into a shower of harmless pebbles. “What just happened?!” Lacewing asked. “It’s called soul. Some bugs are capable of harnessing it and using it as a weapon. I can also combine it with void using my void nail.” Darner said back. “There are a few other bugs back home who have that ability too. There’s even a vessel I know that can use soul to control water.” 

The rowboat slid up to a dock. Lacewing and darner hopped out and thanked the bug in the boat. they walked up to the nearest bug and asked about the location of a weaponsmith. He obliged and showed them the way. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

Meadowhawk ran through the caves faster than he ever had. This was the revelation he needed. Finally this would convince them. To convince them of the value of vessels. He bursted out of the well like a geyser. Asper clung loosely you his back. “What are you doing here” exclaimed the white lady. “I think I know what happened at the white palace. Follow me.” As soon as he said this, he flung himself back through the well. He didn’t have time to stop with them pursuing him so closely. He dodged and weaved through the crossroads and the capital city. He dove down long shafts. Finally, in the basin, he made the last few turns before stopping and calmly walking to the palace grounds. Orgrim and the white lady arrived soon after, along with a bunch of guards. He stood there and bent down, dipping his hands in the void and letting it run off the sides, dripping on the ground. They carefully stepped closer to him. He kneeled over as they approached him. “Void and infection... fighting. kill father.” He said, tracing the infection stains in the dirt and rock. They crept closer behind Meadowhawk as he lifted his hands. They dripped with a murky black substance that imparted a visceral feeling of... wrongness. “You’re right...that is void!” They exclaimed. “We need to explore the abyss” Meadowhawk said. “But... if this is what void can do, It could be to dangerous to let you go down there.” The white lady said. “I’ll find a team and we’ll go down there together.” Meadowhawk said. The white lady, Orgrim and the guards discussed it before turning back to Meadowhawk. “You can go down there as long as you find some others to help you.” Orgrim said. He was ready. All he needed now was a team.


	11. Chapter 11

The cobbled streets glowed a fiery orange from in between the cracks as they pulsed like the veins of a living, breathing creature. Smoke, steam and ash hung in the air, funnelling into vents in the ceiling leading to chimneys far, far above. “You know, you seem quite sane for someone Who was going on about saving some guy who sacrificed a prostitute to get rid of an angry god” Lacewing said. “Come on. Nobody who survived the infection did so with their sanity” Darner said back, choking back laughter before letting it lose. Lacewing soon joined in. “The trick to joking about such traumatic events like that is to tell them before thinking them through.” He said. Ahead of them was a large pyramidal building with a large tower beside it and a serratun across the door frame. They strode in confidently. The moment they opened the door, an old bug shouted “close the door” from somewhere in the back, causing the other bugs to ring out in laughter. “Darn. They’re out of towners” the bug said, evidently dismayed by them not laughing. “Could you work at the forge while I deal with these guests. By the way, if you’re wondering, the joke was about a rumour around these parts that I would turn to stone or freeze solid if I stopped forging metals. The names Trent. Now, what can I do for you?” “We came from jademero forest. Well, I did, he’s from a completely different kingdom allegedly. He says he caught a glimpse of a serratun and was wondering if you could tell us who you made it for.” Lacewing said. “Well, I can never forget a serratun. Did it have any identifying qualities?” Trent said. “Well...” Darner said “I remember that the blunt edge was serrated with little teeth and the sides of the blade had little spikes along it. There was a vial of some kind of venom attached to the handle with a small metal tube attached to it that I assume was for some sort of mechanism that would coat the blade in a layer of venom.” Darner explained. “Would you happen to remember if someone ordered a serratun like that” Trent looked shocked. “Th-that description matches a blade we had specially made for king Lightbringer.” Lacewing and Darner looked each other in the eye. The king of all of Crestmound was the one who was holding the pale king. This was becoming bigger than darner expected. “Where could we meet him?” Darner asked. “Well, I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but here we are. He’s going to be in the nearby town just down the lake nearby. You can take a boat across it.” 

Darner and Lacewing floated down the lake. Above them fungi grew across the roof. The water was calm. Until...  
SLAM!  
Something slammed into the side of the boat with a crash. Darner tried shooing it away with his paddle. whatever it was retreated before ramming itself into the oar he held. Darner toppled back and fell into the cold water with a splash.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The first person Meadowhawk asked was Sterling, a disgraced sentry that had survived the infection. He had been one of Darners best pupils but had been ejected after messing with one of the Soul Masters experiments and causing havoc amongst the soul twisters. He was easily identified by the useless ribbons on his back that were once wings but had been shredded in the accident. Meadowhawk ran up to Sterling from behind and gave him a hug. “Huh? What’s up.” He said looking down at Meadowhawk. “I’m glad you’re ok. Dad said he was sorry and he hoped you’re okay. I need you to help me explore the abyss.” Meadowhawk said. “I’m glad you’re okay too. Truth be told I actually miss him a bit too. I’ve heard he’s exploring some far off kingdom. Now about the abyss, I’ve never seen it and have only caught bits and pieces of conversations about it.” Sterling replied. “Oh, it’s not too bad. There isn’t much danger down there, and I’m going to have more help. It’s not too scary.” Meadowhawk said. 

Meadowhawk walked through the resting grounds. Graves long neglected dedicated to bugs forgotten laid alongside the path. A dripping and splashing echoed around the caverns. It didn’t take much to deduce the source of the sounds. Standing at the shores of the blue lake was a small vessel adorned with a blue cloak and hat. He was manipulating the water using soul. The blue water would rise out of the lake and churn into strange shapes before dropping back down with a splash. “String” Meadowhawk spoke. “I need some others to come to the abyss. We’re going to save vessels and find things so we can prove that vessels are just as good as any other bug.” “Sure. I’ll come and explore with you. What a good idea. I’m exited” 

Finally, Meadowhawk headed up to the top of crystal peak. There was a little vessel with a horn and a crack in his shell. “Celias” Meadowhawk said, scaring the vessel. “Could you help us out in the abyss.” Celias reluctantly gave a silent nod. They were ready as a team of four. They headed down to the ancient basin.


	12. Chapter 12

The waves thrashed darner into the rocks. Torrents of water scraped his shell against Crags and crevices in the stone. Darner tried swimming to the surface, with his tail and wings aiding him in travelling through the water. His wing snagged on something. Free it too hastily and it could become irreparably damaged. The wyrms lungs screamed for air as he shakily fiddled with his fragile limb. It finally came free, albeit sending tremors of pain that irradiated through darners body. Just then, the large bug returned, dashing into him. He slashed his nail at it but the hits landed soft, as if done in playful jest. Swarms of smaller water bugs scurried out of the way. Darner brushed against a patch of moss, causing a stinging sensation. Darner tried not to go under. He wanted to escape on his own accord. But slowly it swept over him. 

He crawled along the earth. He felt liberated from the despot he slaved for all his life. Now he was united under a higher being. A small bug crept across the path. He darted up to it and seized it in his arms. it thrashed around as he bit into its shell. The insects body fluids drained across his face. He threw the empty shell to the ground and walked on. Standing there was the daughter of the one he had wanted to kill. She slung a nail attached to a long silken thread at him. He dodged and stepped closer, stopping in front of her. A long, pulsating orange tendril squirmed towards her. It wrapped itself around her. Her shell began to become coated with orange sludge as tentacle like vines of infection sprouted from her shell. She was one of his kind now. He finally regained control of himself as the orange appendages slinked back into his body.   
And then  
It was another dream.   
Around him was a vast wasteland. The sky was clear and dark. White dots of varying sizes shone down on him. Ahead was a massive rocky dome. Through the roof shone an immense beam of light. Surrounding the dome were pillars and the frames of broken structures and giant rocks that stretched on into the horizon. The earth shook as a well appeared in the debris laying on the earth. From the well emerged an immense wyrm. It’s tail poked up not far away. The beast had large wings and small spikes at the rear. It’s teeth were flat and straight and angled inwards toward its gargantuan maw. Lower down were two arms that were straight save for small part that bent at the end. It looked... familiar. Like he had seen this creature somewhere before... was it... him...  
It roared loudly and thrashed around, sending sand spraying all around. Darner drew his blade from the sheath at his side embedded in his cloak. Darner stepped forwards and laid his hand on the thing. Up close, it’s eyes could be seen looking down at him. Darners eyes stayed open in awe at it. As he stepped back, the wyrm faded away to reveal darner as his past self. Darner stepped forward as his mirror image reached out his hand. They reached to grasp each other when the vision of the past retracted his hand, stepped back and fled. Darner turned around to see an infected version of himself standing alongside an abyssal version of the pale king, steeped in void. Darner felt the earth swallow him whole as the strange new place was yanked out from under him in a cyclone of light and darkness. 

Darner coughed himself awake, spitting out lakewater and vomit. Dizziness rattled him from the revolting dream he had. On the bright side, in contrast to his other recent dreams, the infection wasn’t a concern anymore with the radiance slain. The other dream, he didn’t understand. Was the abyss after him too. What did he have to do. “Finally awake?” Lacewing said. “Don’t worry, I did all the heavy lifting for you. We’ve finally arrived at corulsia town.” 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The door once again rattled open, allowing the 4 of them access to the abyss. They stepped and hopped down to the ground made of the shells of vessels. It was silent in the abyss. Far away, shells rustled. The group moved, celias lagging behind the others by a small amount, holding a torch, which he preferred over lumafly lanterns. They came to a tall lighthouse. They hopped up the platforms and entered the door. Laying there was a royal retainers shell. “You think this might’ve been the lighthouse keeper? What happened to them?” Asked string. “I think they were consumed by void. I’ve heard whisperings of bugs doing work in the void.” Replied Sterling. “Maybe void can take over bugs, sort of like infection can.” Said Meadowhawk. “That sounds interesting.” Suddenly, there was a strange noise at the base of the lighthouse. They hopped down the tower and looked around. They caught a glimpse of something moving in the dark. They stepped closer. Standing there, staring at them, was a creature like they had never seen.


	13. Chapter 13

They walked up the steps into the small town. There was an angler out on the docks catching some small water bugs. They went up to him and asked when lightbringer would arrive. “The royal gala? That’s tomorrow.” “Great” lacewing said. “And we still have a whole day to spend here as well.”  
They walked down the streets and came across a place called “Safire lounge.” They decided to go in and sat down at a table. A water strider soon walked up to their table and introduced himself as their waiter. “I’ll have a pond larva salad please” Darner said. “And I’ll have the fly pie and a bottle of wine for the two of us to drink.” Said lacewing. The waiter went to relay this to the cooks as lacewing and darner sat down and talked. “Okay, so I’ve told you a lot about hallownest. Now I want to hear about what it’s like here in crestmound.” Darner said. “Well,” lacewing said “back in jademero forest, as you’ve heard, I was a forager. Most of the time I would just explore around jademero forest and all that. I actually have my trusty compass here right now.” She said, pulling the compass out of her pockets. “Oh, and we also can remove our stingers and a new one goes right in its place. We’re always regrowing lost ones. I can even coat it in some of our special venom.” Said lacewing enthusiastically. “Cool.” Replied darner. Their food soon came out and was deposited at their table by the waiter. Their drinks were poured and a bottle was left at their table. Their tucked into their meals. “So, what were some of your old friends like, if you don’t mind me asking” lacewing inquired. “Well, Orgrims really nice. Not many people liked to accept he was one of the 5 great knights though. Honestly, I personally think he’d be a better pick than me, although I was never actually one of the great knights. He did manage to outlive all the others, from what I know. The sentries were really nice. Well, all but two of them. I discharged them for doing some nasty things. There was a third guard I let go but...” Darner explained. “What?” Lacewing inquired. “Well, his name was sterling. He was the best. Top of his class. But then... there was an accident. He did something to some kind of machine at the soul sanctum. His wings were reduced to useless scraps. At the time I was angry with him but now I’ve come to realize that they deserved it. They were doing some very unnatural things there. I wish I could’ve apologized to him but he fell to the infection and I’m not sure if he’s going to survive.” Darner explained. “That sounds horrible. What exactly was this soul sanctum.” Lacewing asked. “Well, they took people from the capital city, harvested their soul and did horrible experiments on them. People often say the pale king was just as bad because of the vessels but I don’t think that’s true. They also made rumours too. They say he also did horrible experiments, usually on the vessels or my sentries. I just wish all the heretics would go away. Well most of them. There was one I respected but other than her they’ve mostly just gotten under my shell.” Said darner. “Well, I understand where they’re coming from, but I understand you too. You must believe in him a lot to go through this for him.” Said lacewing. “To vilify what I have suffered through is to belittle my suffering. Quick change of subject, what was up with those bugs in iceburrow? Why were they frozen like that?” Darner asked. “Apparently they have special freezing silk that they use. They make cocoons out of it to hibernate in and use it to defend themselves, as you’ve seen already.” Lacewing explained. Their cutlery clinked on their empty plates. Soon a waiter came and picked up their dishes. “Let’s get some dessert. I’ll have the thernac lava cake.” Said lacewing. “And I guess I’ll haveee... the iceburrow sundae please.” Darner said. And they waited and talked. 

They were eating their meal and talking when suddenly, out of the blue, darner shed a strange black tear. He winced as it rolled down his face. “Hold still” lacewing said as she swiped it with her finger, recoiling immediately after touching it. She grasped a napkin and dabbed it on the strange substance. It seemingly went away. For a moment, at least. Seconds later, it began once again. The inky black goo leaked from his eyes, his ears, his nose and all over his face. Darner flailed, helplessly in pain as he rolled to the floor. Lecewing stood there in shock as a crowd gathered behind them. He had seemingly lost all hope until...  
A memory came upon him.  
It was one of the days during the height of the infection. Darner stood in the barracks, conversing with ze’mer. Suddenly, a group of 3 sentries bust in through the door. One appeared to have been completely overtaken by infection. The other two, who were trying to restrain the first, only had small bulges of the orange liquid on their body darner stood there in shock. “I’m sorry. He’s incurable. I’ll miss him. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit.” He said before piercing the bugs shell. The husk dropped to the floor as infection sprayed everywhere. The others looked on in shock. Darner picked up the helmet and moved the husk aside. “We’ll take him to the resting grounds soon. After I deal with your injuries. Take a seat here so I can fix you up.” Darner said in a somber tone as he grabbed a black jar. The two sentries sat down at the chairs, showing their pulsating wounds, one on the knee and the other located roughly near the bugs thigh. “This might hurt a little bit. Don’t move.” Darner said before smearing a small amount of void on their injuries. They winced a little bit at the burning sensation. “Ok. I’m done. Close your eyes. I’m just going to focus soul.” Darner told them. They both complied as Darner focused his soul on the two of them. “Okay. I’m done.” Darner said after a few seconds. “Now you three should leave the room for now. It’s not safe to be near infection for too long. I’ll just clean it up and I’ll see you in a bit so we can go to the resting grounds.” Darner said. The three headed out of the room, with ze’mer pausing in the doorway. “How exactly did you do that” she asked him. “It’s this new thing the pale king is researching called void. Apparently it, soul and infection react with eachother. It only works in the early stages though and we don’t know why it has that property. Infection, soul and void just seem to dislike eachother.”  
The words from the memory rang through his mind.  
Infection  
Void  
Soul  
Soul  
Was that the answer?  
Would soul stop this? Darner crawled to his feet and dashed out to the shore. His whole body stung as he ran with a limp, stringy tendrils of void trailing from his tail. By this point darner wad covered from head to toe in void. Blobs of the stuff clung to his shell and vines of it crawled all along his body. It overflowed from his crown, dripping down his face. First, he focused soul. He felt his body relax. The remedial warmth channeled through him. Darners mind went blank as he felt his grip on himself tighten. It felt perfect. Then he opened his eyes back up and channeled all his void into the vengeful spirit spell before letting it lose, transformed into a shade soul by the void inside. Lacewing came running up to him along the shore. “Are you okay?!” She blurted out, to which darner replied “yeah. Let’s go get some more things done, shall we.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“A-Azure? Is that you?” Sterling said. He sounded scared and sad. “Azure? Who are they?” String asked. “She was my best friend back before the infection. One day she said she found a place to hide out the infection and I never saw her again, not that it was very long before I fell to the infection. I guess she must’ve followed a vessel and snuck down here.” Said sterling, through tears. Azure just stood there, oddly bewildered. She was a blue, iridescent beetle. From his abdomen dripped void. Her face though... it was sad. Meadowhawk felt his grasp on emotions tighten by the sight of it. Sadness and longing waved through him stronger than he had ever felt. Her face was stained with tears of void. She looked broken. Too broken to even understand what she had become. Her gaze was empty, like a vessel. “Let’s take him up and come back down.” Said Meadowhawk. “I want to stay with her. I’m sorry for leaving. I just...” said Sterling. “It’s alright.” Said string, going in to warmly hug Sterling. “It’s gonna be alright.”


	14. Chapter 14

It was the white palace, just how he had remembered it. Royal retainers lined the walls, bowing deeply to him as he passed. Out of his peripheral vision, he witnessed something he’d never seen before. It was a door, slightly ajar. He opened it and crept inside. It was a stairwell leading to a dark hallway that looked different than any other. Down the hallway were several more rooms splitting off from it by heavy locked doors, each with a large window. Darner snuck up to the glass between the hallway and the chambers and witnessed horrific sights. In the first one appeared to be several sentries, each caged in a small cell. The guards seemed to all be crying hysterically, so much so that they didn’t notice darner looking in on them. In front of the cells were several tables covered in restraints. Darner silently slipped onto the next window, mortified at what he had seen. The next room was much the same, with vessels chained to the walls rather than sentries. Void covered all the walls in a thick layer. Darner moved into to the third room and witnessed something even more shocking than he had seen in the last two rooms. It was orgrim, slowly being consumed by tendrils of void. He wailed in pain and tried to escape. Darner stood there, frozen in fear. He couldn’t look into the other rooms. A creak of metal sounded and footsteps rang through the hallway. Darner could quietly hear the pale king, laughing cruelly. It was he who was doing this. A visceral regret for his earlier adventure came to him. Suddenly, a voice rang out. “Darner. Wake up. Let’s go get some breakfast. It’s a big day.” Darner slowly raised his eyelids. It was time for the face off against lightbringer.   
Or should he not?   
Was that dream fact or fiction? 

It was later that morning in anticipation of the events to take place that afternoon. They were at a place called “the grillipede”. Darner and lacewing were once again sitting down at the table. The waiter taking their order, a beetle egg scramble for darner and some charpede with fried cocoon for lacewing. “Charpede... that name reminds me of bugs back in hallownest.” Darner said. “Garpede, you mean? They have burrows outside crestmound, too. Sometimes they tunnel into the deeper parts of the kingdom. What was this deepnest place like?” Said lacewing. “Well, I didn’t go down there too much, but I did have the opportunity to explore once... The pale king had a... private moment with one of the citizens and I wasn’t allowed to watch, so I explored a little bit. It was for the most part divided into two sides. One half was filled with spiders and the other with dirtcarvers and garpede. Neither of the citizens were what I would consider welcoming, and some attempted to lure me into a trap. There was even this fairly large spider like creature known as a nosk that at first took on the form of the pale king. The only bug down there I would consider to be friend was this one hunter I met named Lork. He looked threatening as anyone and he wasn’t exactly the most bubbly person out there but he was nice, at least for deepnest standards.” Darner replied. Their meals arrived at once. Lacewing bit into a cocoon as darner scooped up some of the beetle eggs on his fork, catching a grub and a small worm. “I’ve never tried worms. There are a lot back home but nobody eats them.” Said darner. “They’re really good, especially when we fry them up in some juice and a bit of our jademero honey” replied lacewing. “Yeah. Mostly we’ve never tried because they’re pretty gross and all. Twice the princess got down there as a meagre child. The flukes were all over her. They ruined several dresses but luckily didn’t cause too much harm, unlike the times she tried kidnapping bees.” Darner said. “It was a disaster. Vespa and her guard were at the white palace looking for a bee thief and we look in her room and there’s like a miniature hive in her bed.” He said. Lacewing laughed. “What’s hornet like now?” She asked. “Well,” Darner began “she’s pretty serious. And a free spirit. Before leaving she was helping to destroy the radiance. I’m curious as to what’s she’s up to right now. Helping to rebuild, no doubt.” Their meal once again came to a close. They settled their bill and headed out. Darner headed back to the inn they had stayed in for a few steps before lacewing called out to him. “Come on. It’s a special occasion. We should dress up.” Sh said. Darner followed into a shop full of dress clothes. “That cloak I bought in iceburrow should look nice. I just need to find the perfect finishing touch.” Just then, a brooch and a stickpin caught his eye. He paid for them with the venn antlion gave him and slipped them into one of his pockets. Darner sat down to wait for lacewing to finish. Eventually, she came with a bag. They both went into the changerooms. Darner slipped on the silken green cloak and fitted it with the pin and brooch he had gotten. They both stepped out of the changerooms and looked at each other. Lacewing was wearing a beautiful pink and green dress that looked as if it was made from rose petals. “Wow. You look stunning, darner.” She said. “You too.” Darner replied. “I’m not quite a fan of dressing up like this but I’m glad you like it.” She said. “Now, it’s time to go crash this party.”   
The Center square was packed with bugs all gathered around a stage at the middle of it all. Two hulking bugs stood on stage in between the bug darner had seen in his vision. He was purple with glowing spots along his abdomen. Behind him were two like green wings. “Now I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you all here. Well, I’m delighted to say that some recent events have made it necessary to have a change of plans. There was a guest of sorts that we had planned to allow to stay in residence here in our wondrous kingdom. However, the arrival of a visitor had caused us to need to... dispose of them.” He said. Just then, he revealed a large object beside him. Lightbringer pulled off the veil overtop it, casting darner into abject horror. It was the pale king. He appeared to have wounds over his beautiful shell. Darner was fuming with wrath. What happened next was almost a reflex. He leapt out of his spot into the air and dashed towards lightbringer, nail at the ready. He felt something collide with him as everything once again went blank. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“I think I’ll name you... bluet...” Meadowhawk said to the he vessel he had found earlier. They had taken Azure out of the abyss, and sterling had wanted to stay with her. Celias and string still wanted to return. “W-would... would you like to come help mo... more vessels wit-with us?” Meadowhawk said. The vessel nodded. Just then, a Baldur came up behind him, unfurling nearby. “Could I come with you guys too? My name is bohemond.” He said. “Sure” Meadowhawk said. 

They went down to the abyss and found a few vessels, bringing them back up to the surface. The whole time, Meadowhawk felt as if something was missing. Then, he remembered. At the end of the day, when everyone retired from their tireless work, Meadowhawk told them that he would be back soon, but he couldn’t return just then. They said their goodbyes and he headed off on his way to deepnest. 

He wandered down eerily familiar caverns, seeking one particular bug. Ahead of him a vessel peered out from the darkness. Meadowhawk knew what it was, but feigned surprise. Finally, they both reached a dead end in a large room. “Stay on guard, Meadowhawk” he thought. Meadowhawk drew his nail as the vessels neck twisted with a crack and a black, spindly spider-like body burst from the cloak. Meadowhawk began jumping unpredictably from side to side. He then began making jumps towards the creature, slashing it and then retreating once again. It stomped its legs and thrashed it’s tail. “Primal aspid... D-Darner taught me this one.” Meadowhawk said quietly. Suddenly, nosk hit him with an uppercut, lashing the vessel towards the ceiling. Meadowhawk fell crashing to the ground. He quickly got up and switched up his strategy. First, he backed off. He then charged the beast before landing a large slash. Meadowhawk allowed the heft of the nail carry him into a spin slash. Then, just before nosk was about to stomp him, he leapt to the side and tilted himself slightly in the air. He circled around nosk as a deadly cyclone. He finally ended it off by hitting the creature with his full might, transferring all the force of his slash to its leg. This scared it to the roof of the cavern. Meadowhawk tossed his blade upwards, letting it hit the monster he was battling. They both came crashing down along with rubble dislodged by the fall. Meadowhawk caught the blade and dug into the atrocious spider. As it prepared to get up, he made his final move. Meadowhawk climbed onto the creatures back and jumped onto a stalactites, holding tightly. He then sprang off nail first onto the masked beasts back. He received his weapon from the shell of the monster before grabbing ahold of the beasts horns. “For what... you do T-to brothers.” Meadowhawk said with more fury than he had ever mustered. He began to twist with all his might. The creature trembled as he turned it’s head around. Cracking sounds began. After rotating it with more strength than he had ever used, a snap rang through the room as the large bugs head came clean off. The body collapsed, making the stomach burst open and spill acid everywhere. He tossed the head into the air and slashed it at the wall with all his might. It broke wide open as it hit one of the rocky walls. Meadowhawk walked toward one of the dead vessels strung up in a web. “B-Bury... you... prop-properly... fi...nally ” he said.


	15. Chapter 15

Darner was standing in the city of tears. It was cold and empty. He was completely alone. Darner walked down the deserted avenues until he reached the square at the centre. There lay the lifeless shells of those he had come to know and love. The five great knights, the pale king, the white lady, hornet, Meadowhawk, the pure vessel, the dreamers and many other bugs. Amongst the husks stood a vision of darners past self, adorned in his royal gray cloak. It’s back was turned toward Darner. The mirror image spoke, “I can’t do it. Hallownest will remain broken through time. I’m sorry. There is no future left. Hallownest has died.” As those harrowing words were spoken, the past Darner began to fade away along with the corpses that surrounded him. Darner reached out, desperate, but it was no use. Once again, he was alone. The city around him was frigid and silent. Nobody was left. Not even the dead or the infected. Darner dropped to his knees and cried. All his friends that he had perished. For once, he knew he was alone. “I can’t repair my dreams.” He said. “They have crumbled to dust.” He opened his eyes. Around him stood the spirits of the friends he had lost; isma, dryya, ze’mer and her mantis lover and the three dreamers. In front of him was the vessel that had challenged the radiance. It reached out its arm towards darner. Darner grabbed its hand and pull himself to his feet. “I’ll go back. I’ll do it for you. I’ll miss you. I just wish you could experience it with us. I wish you could get to live the joy that was violently torn away from you.” Darner said to them. “We will always be here for you. Even if we only get to watch the kingdom blossom again, it’ll still be okay. All we want to see is the kingdom whole once again. And we will be there, by your side.” Dryya said back. “Oh, and one more thing. Can you make sure orgrim is okay. I trust you and know that you are very close to him, but now that I’m gone you’re the only one left for him.” Isma said. “Thank you. And I’ll make sure of that, isma. By the way, am I dreaming or is this real?” Darner asked. It only occurred to him after that dreams would often disguise themselves as reality. Even the wildest dreams would pass as real life to the dreamer. “It’s kind of complicated. Dreams and reality, life and death, past and future. They’re all connected. You’ll find out some day. I promise. But for now, you’ll need to wake up. You have a very important task. Remember, We’ll always be watching over you. May we meet again someday in the faraway future. And no matter what, never forget, you may never be able to bring back the old hallownest, but you can take the parts and create hallownest anew.” They said. At that moment, darner was enveloped in white. The entire space around him went white. 

And then it faded

“Wh-what?” Darner shouted to himself. they were all still standing there. Darner looked around, confused. “Che mustn’t listen to them. Dreams of what you know.” Said Ze’mer. “Hallownest is nothing more than a bleak landscape of sin and suffering. The crimes of the king are numerous and gaping. You can’t just ignore them. Have you seen the vision of the future you had last night? How could you allow such horrendous things to happen?” Isma said, grabbing darners hand. “He is a horrible, horrible person. We have finally gotten rid of him after so long. Please, do not rescue him. Remain here, return to hallownest, flee to another land. Just do not release him. The void that destroyed him forgave you despite you being aiding him.” Dryya told him. Then, a searing headache came over darner. His vision blurred and his ears rang. A torrent of words swirled in his head and images of the great knights flashed across his vision. “True... lie... puppet... save... do... light...” said voices in his head through a hurricane of speech. Slowly, they began to become clearer. Darner could recognize the voice. It was Dryya. “Fight... back... light... bringer... moth... dreams... save him... awaken...” Darner could hear her say. The mental storm calmed into blissful clarity. Darner drew his void nail and slashed it at the false spirits in front of him. They evaporated into thin air. The space around darner once again went blank.

His eyes blinked open. He was lying on a stone floor. Around him were chains attached to the walls. He stretched his limbs with a metallic jingling. He was attached by the neck with a steel hoop attached to a loop on the wall by a chain. “Look who got a good sleep in.” Lacewing said from a corner, also chained by the neck. Darner took a look around the cell. Was he going to suffer the consequences of his heroism? He sat in the corner in despair. He looked to lacewing, who was reaching for some keys beside the cell on a hook on the wall. “Excuse me” he said, gently nudging lacewing out of the way. “Okay. Look at you. What are you going to do? Ask politely for it?” She said. Darner backed into the corner of the cell closest to the keyring and reached his tail out the bars. He hooked the ring on his tail and stepped back into the cell, grabbing the keychain off his tail. He unlocked the shackles and the cell door and opened them. The guard doing the rounds outside their cell was alerted and ran over. Darner panicked before thinking back a few seconds. As the soldier approached, darner grabbed him by the throat with his tail and slammed him to the ground with his hands. “Huh. I guess your tail isn’t just a weak point. “ lacewing said. “Trust me. I have no idea how I did that and I probably will never do that again.” Darner replied. “Knowing you and your impulsive choices and how many you tend to make, I highly doubt that’ll be the last stupid decision that will pay off for you. “ lacewing said. Darner laughed. “These guards are gonna be in a lot of trouble later.” Lacewing said. “Yeah. It’s like the time a homeless ex-dandy stole something and the two sentries I put on guard thought they could just do whatever they wanted with them, so they beat them unconscious and then threw them into the sewer. I never did get to apologize to the one they threw out. Last time I saw them I had amnesia and they apparently left hallownest at some point. I hope they’re okay.” Darner replied. “Its okay. I’m sure they’re safe in another kingdom” lacewing told him. They drew nearer and nearer to the exit to the dungeons. They threw open the door and gazed at their surroundings. They were standing on an island in a thick mire of mud and tar. 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Meadowhawk walked into the town, several vessels in tow. He laid them out in the square. There were vessels of all different appearances, including a tall vessel with asymmetrical horns he had found in the basin and of course, Grendel, the vessel that he had helped out of the abyss only to watch the nosk slay. Orgrim walked up to him. “What’re you doing with those vessels?” Orgrim asked. “Bury them... a-a-at-t resting gro... grounds.” Meadowhawk said. “I’ll hand them off to our team up there.” Replied orgrim. He walked off with the shells of the vessels, leaving Meadowhawk on his own. He saw bluet wandering and got an idea. “Come here and wait please” Meadowhawk said to the other vessel. He went around and gathered the other vessels he had brought up from the abyss as well as Azure. Meadowhawk began to teach them using the limited knowledge he had. He told them about how to speak and all about the kingdom and everything. The vessels intently listened and hung on to his every word. Slowly, he could see a personality start to appear in the children of the void. Some appeared to enjoy being creative, others enjoyed thinking. some were shy, some were eager. All their hollow souls filled with knowledge, even the little bit he gave them. Azure seemed to be cheery and an avid historian, in line with her personality before becoming an empty, abyssal bug, according to Sterling. “I remember that she was really into the pale king and the history of hallownest. It was a sharp contrast me. Back when I was ejected from the guard I had begun to form a distaste for the royalty of the kingdom. It was only exasperated by an incident that happened with the sentries.  
Apparently they dumped this one bug in the sewers and they ended up missing. Apparently they became a lifeblood heretic. Honestly at that point I almost joined them. Good thing I didn’t know about the abyss at that point. The vessels that died there probably would’ve changed my opinion for good.” Said sterling. Meadowhawk stood there as those words sunk in.   
The vessels that died  
The abyss   
The pale king


	16. Chapter 16

The two hopped and bounded over broken piers and logs sunken into the sludge. The tar was inky and black and looked like the void. Darner shivered looking on. What did the void want with him? Where did it come from? Darner shivered at the thought of it. The prison they had escaped from receded quickly behind the mangroves that dotted the earthen mounds stranded in the icky black mass. Over the horizon came what appeared to be a broken town. As they got closer, the structures became clearer. There were shops and other amenities boarded and chained up, with signs declaring their condemnation. They approached one of the houses which was apparently abandoned and stepped through the door with an ominous cracking sound. The door slid open, scraping along the floor, worn bare from neglect. Darner walked to one of the back tables, covered in paper. Darner sifted through the letters, taking in the information they contained. Darner looked at the first letter in the stack. “Important notice” it said on the envelope in bold writing. Darner slipped it out of the envelope and began to read. It was degraded so some of the words couldn’t be read. It appeared to be dated many years before “Important notice from lightbringers palace. This town at last survey has been deemed unliveable. Residents are urged to leave at once.” It said. Darner moves it aside and found another note, dated several years before the other one. “Dear _______, it has come to my attention that we are no longer safe. The tremors are getting worse day by day. I’ve tried to contact the king but he doesn’t seem to want to listen to us. I’ve heard that the nearby shopkeepers will be fleeing soon. I want to go with them but I don’t have the venn to do that. What to do?... “ it said. Darner looked back behind him at lacewing, who was digging through drawers. A snap rang out as the ground shook. Lacewing ran to the front door and opened it. “Darner... I think you might want to see this...” she said. Darner dropped everything and ran to the door to see a solid wall of tar. Lacewing clambered out and onto the roof of the house. Darner followed, lacewing pulling him up by his arm. “It’s sinking. I think the supports for the floating town collapsed under our weight.” Said Darner. The entire town was sinking into the muck beyond them. “Who’s idea was it to build a town here?” Asked lacewing. A strange bug jumped up. It had 3 horns on its head and had a hard shell covering its body. It charged lacewing and darner. Darner swung at it with his void nail but to no avail. Darner, not having any time to think, tried holding it back by its horns. It felt almost painful to hold on to them, but it seemed to be visibly weakened by this. It stopped and the duo took the chance to run across the rooftops. “What was that?” Darner shouted. “I don’t know.” Lacewing said back. They jumped and ran across the derelict rooftops. Darner looked behind himself to see a large amount of the creatures charging them. Darner dug through his pockets and found a small badge with a red ribbon tied around it.  
The charm emanated a pungent odour. Darner snatched up a piece of garbage and began to rub it against the charm. He then threw the garbage at the perusing beetles, causing them to dissipate from the scent of the badge, which had rubbed off on it. Up ahead was a beach bordering the mire. They leapt off the rooves and  
Onto the gravelly beach. The strange beetles flanked them from the rear as more joined them from behind as a loud buzzing played out in the distance. Lacewing gripped her stinger and yanked it out with a forceful tug as venom splattered on the ground, a new one popping into place behind the old one. Darner threw his nail up in the air and caught it before lashing out at the horns of one of the offending beetles. Darner the. made a dash in the other direction before allowing the momentum to carry him into a spin and boomeranged in the back the way he was going. He tilted his spin a little before leaping around in an erratic manner. The buzzing grew to a monotonous hum as a large beetle drifted overhead and landed right between them. It’s horns were massive and appeared to surge with electricity. “They’re too big.” Shouted lacewing. “Like-...” darner added quickly before being cut off by lacewings shouts. “It’s not the time now” she said. Darner plotted an angle of attack for a second before coming to a sudden epiphany. “You grab it by the horns to disorient it while I go in from the back!” He said. Lacewing clutched the two risks of the bestial insect, causing it to frantically buzz its wings, conveniently making it lift the hard shell over its wings protecting its soft back. Darner brushed his wings and fluttered them until all the muck came off before flying into the air and winding up. He then thrust his nail downwards before diving full force at its backside. The bug screeched as the nail pierced its shell. Darner then flew to its front end and let out one of his void infused spells before finishing off with a bright flash of soul. The bug scrambled back, dazed before furiously digging up the ground and burrowing underground, its compadres following suit. “Great. Now, where are we?” Said darner. “I think I remember this place. Jademero forest should be riiiight... this way” replied lacewing, pulling out her compass. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Meadowhawk stood in the abyss. He had become a large figure of pure void. In front of him stood the pale king and by his side was Darner. They both stood there. Darner appeared to be pleading while the pale king looked to be panicking. Meadowhawk, or rather this being who was once Meadowhawk, grabbed the pale king with one of its long, snaking arms and snapped off one of the spikes of his crown and impaled him with it. The massive void creature then threw his body downwards into the abyss. He then grabbed darner and began to tear him limb from limb before throwing him to the floor of the abyss.  
SLAM!  
Meadowhawk fell out of his bed and landed on the floor of his bedroom. The walls pulsated as his head throbbed and the blurriness of his vision faded. Meadowhawk got up from the floor and left his home to take a walk around hallownest. He looked around outside. The city of tears was strangely beautiful at this time of night, the early hours imparting him with a strange sense that he had never felt before. Meadowhawks mind started to think of the question from yesterday. Darner had believed that the pale king was innocent, something that even the great knights hadn’t thought. He remembered whispers of the sins of the pale king and about the seriousness of his crimes. Meadowhawk wasn’t sure to what degree they thought that. He wandered out towards fungal wastes through greenpath and queens gardens before coming to a stop in one of the caverns nearby the stag station. A small cave caught his eye. It seemed to emanate a faint pale glow. Meadowhawk crept inside to see a small wooden grave laced with gray vines that sprouted flowers that seemed to grow all around the small nook in the rock. Meadowhawk plucked a few of the flowers from the ground. “I-I hope you... don’t mind-m-mind me taking these.” He said as he took a few of them, planning on offering them to those who had perished. It would help bring his mind off the dilemma he had experienced. Finally, he walked out, a small bouquet in his hand. He could’ve sworn he could’ve heard a voice laugh before saying “it’s okay. They can have those. Your fathers doing well. I know you will make hallownests future great.”


	17. Chapter 17

Darner and lacewing arrived in the forest village. He prepared to do something he knew would be hard, but he knew he had to. “Listen... I know it’s going to be hard to do but... I need you to stay here.” Darner said. Lacewing looked shocked at this. “I know it’s hard but I’ve put you in enough danger already. If I go down I don’t want you to come down with me.” He said. “But you’ll go down if I’m not there to help you.” She replied. “Please. You still have a chance. If I die, retrieve my nail, travel to hallownest. You’ll be safe there should you chose to flee this place. And if you do, tell them I failed.” Darner said. Lacewing pauses for a moment before speaking once again. “Okay. Good luck.” She said. It was time. The trek toward the final battle had begun. 

The tram began to halt as its doors opened to let many bugs enter and exit. Darner slowly stepped on with a little hesitation against the flow. Insects of all different kinds made their ways on and off the tram. Darner made his way to a seat and sat down. His stop was barnette station, near the barresse plains, at the heart of which lay lightbringers palace. Sleep tried to overpower darner and won in the end. Sleep came over him as his head lulled to the side and his eyes closed.

Darner blinked awake. The tram was dark and seemed different. It looked... familiar. All around him were the corpses of dead bugs. Around him echoed a nostalgic tune through a tinny speaker. Darner pried open the door of the tram and stepped out. He was no longer in crestmound. This was... hallownest. This place was the tram station in ancient basin. Footsteps echoed from behind him as a sinister laughter rang out. “You think you’re safe. Your dreams are no refuge from moths.”   
It was lightbringer himself.   
“Oh, what’s that? Were you hoping your dead friends would speak to you again. Characteristically foolish of you. They’ve already received their karma.” He snapped his fingers, causing the dead shells of isma and dryya to manifest themselves. “Who do you trust? Your silly hallucinations or the supreme higher beings? You wyrms are nothing. You may have slain the mother to all us supreme beings, but mark my words. We will win.” Lightbringer said. Darner tensed his muscles before flinging himself at lighbringer, who deflected with a Dreamshield. He then created a burst of essence, blasting darner backwards. Darner shuddered with wrath. The dreamers appeared behind them suddenly, to darners surprise. “Why, if it isn’t the three dreamers. Your lives were already meaningless and yet that stupid wyrm managed to make such waste of them. So, are you actually here or is darner just having another one of his delusions.” Said the tyrant, in disdain. “Hallownest shall remain eternal. Your meddling with the affairs of higher beings has had no effect. The sacred unity shall rise once again to commence a new golden era no matter what. No higher beings can stop it and you shall definitely not. Stay out of this.” Said Monomon. “Funny you should say that. You see, I’ve been planning an attack on Hallownest. I’ll destroy your already useless attempts at rebuilding. I might even bring back that infection. Who’ll you seal this time? The princess? The queen? Are you going to try putting me inside his vessel that he calls his child? A vessel is already one of the lowest of life forms but one that was raised by this... scum of a creature? Pitiful.” Said lightbringer. “You have insulted everyone I have ever known and loved after they were stripped away from me, but nobody talks about Meadowhawk like that.” Darner said, choking back tears as he thrust his nail in the moths direction, arm quaking with rage. “I will not rest until you’re a mangled heap, mark my words.” Threatened darner. “Oh, is that so? Well, I’ll just painfully beat your precious king to a bloody pulp. The look of fear in his eyes will make a most satisfying end to his wretched life.” Darner seethed with wrath. Lurien and Monomon put their arms on his shoulders. It felt weird to have them try to comfort him like this after mourning them for so long. “Well, anyway, let’s get back on track. Your higher beings are dead. Good riddance too, serves them well for their heinous crimes. Now, I must be going. We need to prepare for a very special event. There are people eagerly awaiting the end of your kinds reign as we move to an era of the true gods.” He then vanished into the shadows. Darner quaked with rage. He stopped and looked up at the 3 figures behind him. “Thank you. It’s a shame that you needed to perish.” Darner said. “We needed to break the seals. I know it’s hard to think, but we needed to fall. We will always be there in spirit” Said Monomon. “I’ll admit I underestimated the vessel. That was a fault of mine. We failed to seal the infection, but we helped to build Hallownest. We helped and that’s what matters.” Lurien added. “So, we’re just going to talk to him. I thought we were actually going to be aiding his cause, not that that would be much better. The child has finally left, I don’t have much more business with you.” Herrah said. “Hornet? She left hallownest?” Said darner. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be back to hallownest at some point.” Said monomon. “Look, I know it’s going to be hard to accept that those times are all over, and to be enraged at the forces that caused all of this. But I know you can do it. I remember those years ago, when I was worried and had nobody to talk too and you went and took me to the hot spring and listened to me. You were there for me. Thank you. I’m not saying this was a good thing, far from it, but you have to admit that this whole experience, this journey has allowed us to accomplish more than we ever would have. We became closer. We showed others what would’ve stayed hidden. We learned. You would never have seen this place, met these people, anything here in crestmound. And, in the end, isn’t that what matters? That you appreciate the good, learn to live with the bad and become what you truly were meant to be?” Said Lurien. “Now you must awaken for the final leg of the journey. Fight hard and remember to not trust your dreams for now. I know you’ve relied on your visions for most of your life to help you get the edge on what may come to pass, but lightbringer is able to access dreams.” Said Monomon. “I’ve seen their power firsthand. We foolishly attempted to trap that vessel, herrah and I, and the seer of the resting grounds freed him to smite us. It was a regrettable action, although the seals needed to have been broken either way and our fates had been sealed, our demise wrought upon us by that hollow wanderer. I did not believe a mere vessel would be capable of such feats but lo, it did.” Added Lurien. “It was a stupid idea. Why did I ever agree to being sealed with you two just to get killed. Last time I checked I never signed up for the trial of the fool, so I don’t know why they decided I would need to be killed to unlock a door to his son, chained up. Stupid ideas, all of it. Sinful and stupid describe the pale king perfectly in my opinion. Can you not just, I don’t know, stay in hallownest?” Said herrah. “Bold of you to say that” replied darner. “I’m dead. What’re you going to do, piss all over the beasts den?” Asked herrah. “Well, you’re assuming the king and I make it out of this alive and well instead of joining you, so I’m going to take that as a compliment.” Answered darner. “Stop it. You really must be going darner, much as I’d love for you to stay. Goodbye and I wish you the best, both in this quest and beyond.” Said Lurien and Monomon, waving him off. Darner stepped back into the tram once more, sat down at his seat, closed his eyes and listened to the music. Once darner opened them up again, he was awake once again. The tram was filled with a wide assortment of colourful bugs of all types rather than the husks that dotted it in the dream. The cab pulled up into a rickety, dust caked station. 

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“Will he?” Meadowhawk thought to himself. Darner, unlike the great knights, never seemed to say anything negative about the vessels going into the abyss. Meadowhawk always ignited it despite how he never seemed to show even a shred of remorse for how horrible it was. Meadowhawk stewed in his own anger. He shoved the flowers back into his pocket for later. He planned to give them out to those who hadn’t made it but what use would it be to do that to people who never loved him. All he wanted to do was to make people realize he was there but now he questioned why he felt he needed to do something for people who thought he was less than everyone else. Why did they deserve his kindness as if he was righting the wrongs he never made. Once again, he made his way back to the abyss. He knew what he was going to do. He wished he could drag the pale tyrant down there and seal him in. He wished he could watch as the void slowly consumed him. Why had he ever loved Darner, who never felt any remorse for this horrid misdeed. “They will pay.” He said to himself angrily. He opened the door one more time. The force once again surrounded him. Meadowhawk kept steady footing so that the force wouldn’t shove him into the pit below. Once he had made his way to the bottom, he started to have second thoughts, that he should leave and deliver the flowers, but he was to far in to stop. He called out to the void. A large shadowy figure rose up from the ground. “I-I wanted... y-your help” Meadowhawk said. The beast took no heed to these words, but instead grabbed him with one of its long, inky tendrils.


	18. Chapter 18

“Huh” thought Darner, as he stepped off the tram. “It’s been a few days since my last mental breakdown. Good for me.” There were few buildings near the station, the biggest thing being lightbringers castle off on the horizon. Darner looked around. He didn’t have any venn to spend here, so he decided he’d try to set off. Darner walked across the dusty plains. “Watch out for wyrms” he said to himself, laughing. The utterance was a longstanding joke between him and his friends, said upon encountering a place that looked to have had been a place a wyrm might’ve called home. It brought his mind back to a simpler time. This time, however, it seemed to have called upon some unwanted attention. Whispers beckoned from behind a dune. Darner curiously went closer to the source of the sound. On the opposite side was a hole leading to a cave. Inside was a sign that said “shortcut to lightbringers palace. This tunnel bypasses wend ridge and mogi valley.” Darner stepped towards the tunnel when a moth stepped out from behind an ornate doorway. “My name is Alia, the one of minds eye. I have heard your concern about those... wyrms. I can see you are the one who can stop them. Come, step inside.” She said, and before Darner could refuse, he was pushed in through the door and onto a small bed. “Rest and I shall show you” she said. Darner attempted to deny, but he couldn’t resist. Was she... sedating him? He felt a prick as he tired out and, having no other methods of escape, closed his eyes. 

“You see, there’s a kingdom known as hallownest once ruled by our kind, it was taken over by a terrible wyrm known as the pale king.” She was telling him about hallownest, as if he hadn’t lived it before. And worse, it was propaganda for the moths. Very outdated, at that. Darner tensed himself and tried to pull himself out of it. At first, nothing. But then, he felt all his surroundings shift to other forms as he was pulled from the throes of one dream and into another. It felt forcible, as if another entity noticed his struggle and had come to his aid. 

darner had met the towering vessel before. or had he? he felt a familiar connection to this force but at the same time, there was nothing. He felt the being judging him, moving its massive frame closer until they are basically eye level. Well, from the young wyrms perspective, it like a young ant looking over the distance and seeing a small hill as a tall mountain. Then again, that might’ve been true. He had only seen the top portion of the being, there can be no telling what lies further below. The large being suddenly chuckled, an unnatural but soothing voice erupts from the abyss within. It seemed amused, when there was no clear reason to be so. Did he made a funny noise? or a funny face? Vessels cannot speak, much less express their emotions. This one had showed joy, so why is it still alive? Well, they were never alive to begin with.  
That somewhat offended the dark giant and it shooks its head in discontent. It let out small grunt before focusing its attention on the small dragonfly. The giant vessel opened it's palm. Darner looked at it strangely. It was a faintly glowing King's Brand, but it had something about it.  
Then, the voice echoed around Darner:  
"We are not so different, you and I."  
Darner now looked at the towering figure with even more confusion. Was this even propaganda anymore? didn't feel like it.  
The echoing voice spoke again:  
"I could not allow you to remember... However, I cannot ignore the danger you are in any longer..."  
A dead air had set in. Darner's entire body felt cold, yet, strangely, he also felt warm.  
"You'll be seeing me soon... I'll explain more later..." and with that, he was swept back out of that strange scene and was enthralled in the words of the moth. “You see, he is guarded by 5 powerful knights and a legion of guardsmen trained by another wyrm that you will need to take out.” The moth said. “I wish. Most of the knights are either dead or have fled and the head guard is potentially grossly incompetent.” Darner thought. Finally, he woke up. He hastily attempted to get the meeting over with as soon as he could. Every question was met with a hasty reply as he scrambled for the door. At the first moment he had an escape, he ran out of the room and down the caverns. He could faintly see a light at the end of the tunnel as he dashed away from the entrance. How much time had he lost? His cloak flapped as he ran all the way to the end. Finally, the castle was in sight, a wonder to behold. The intricate gates stood framing the gorgeous exterior like a painting of a landscape, except he was really there. Darner started to wonder if he should really do this, if the pale king had truly been a burden to hallownest and his riddance a blessing. Had all this desolation been over something horrendous he had blindly formed an attachment to? He stopped himself in the moment. It was too late for that, and he couldn’t judge someone that he hadn’t seen for so long. Shame and questioning and many other emotions swirled and danced in his mind like ripples on blue lake. It was time. Darner breathed in a sigh as a tear rolled down his pale cheek and glimmered in the light that glinted from off his blade. He was ready. 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Meadowhawk felt strange in the clutches of the beast. They both felt one and the same and yet also entirely separate. Meadowhawk was Meadowhawk and the shadelord was the shadelord. Void flowed around him and touched his inky black skin, caressing it. Pure vessel came running through the door to battle the massive creature from the darkness. How had it known that it had emerged? It slashed at the beast and used all the spells it could. It wielded the nail with precision and grace but it still wasn’t enough. The god of gods wrapped its tendrils around the pure vessel and it too was absorbed. Meadowhawk was out of options. The pitch dark being sent whispers of despair into Meadowhawks mind. “Submit. You can do nothing now. If you hadn’t wanted to be consumed, you shouldn’t have returned to this place. You have done nothing. They all hate you and think of you as lesser.” It said to him. Meadowhawk closed his eyes and at that moment a memory came to him. 

Meadowhawk stood there, dejected, in front of his nail that lay on the floor. Darner was attempting to show Meadowhawk how to do the dance of the sabre, a traditional ceremony that was a rite of passage for the royal guardsmen. It was a test of all the tactics they had acquired and took incredible precision and skill. Meadowhawk looked at his nail as it lay there on the ground, as if he were expecting it to do something that he could not. Darner kneeled down to him and spoke as he stared at the floor. “Listen, nobody may ever know what is truly the limit of what you can do. As long as you don’t give up and put in your all, you can do anything.” Darner said to him. The wyrm picked up the nail and placed it in the young vessels hands. Meadowhawk felt invigorated, like he was finally something, someone. Darner knelt down and stroked him softly before pulling him into a warm embrace and whispered “I love you forever and want everyone else to love you too. I know you can do so many things, some that even I can’t do. I believe in you, and I want to make sure the world does too.” 

“NO! I will not submit to you. Go back to where you came and don’t come back!” Meadowhawk shouted at the darkness, and before he knew it, he was standing at the ready in a strange, dark room, an incarnation of the shadelord standing before him. It had a long, tall, curving body that had many tendrils and 2 clawed arms that sprouted from it. It floated in the air without legs to support itself and on its face were 4 pale white eyes that contrasted with the darkness all around the room. Meadowhawk got into the ready, leaping and striking and dodging all the tendrils that it sent up at him. However, there didn’t seem to be much effect on it. He slashed and swirled around the being, but it didn’t seem to have any effect on the being. A loud noise rang out as a large vessel appeared behind him. It had a spiked crown like the pale king and a wide frame. It appeared to be adorned with a cloak of some sort. Had Meadowhawk seen him somewhere before? It seemed impossible to tell. The vessels mask cracked as a shade poured out and began to swirl around Meadowhawk, enveloping him in a cloud of pure darkness. The shadows began to fade to reveal Meadowhawk having changed to a new form. He had become a being similar to a silhouette of himself with glowing white eyes, larger, spiked horns and numerous void tendrils coming from all over his body. Was he... void given form? They clashed, tentacle against tentacle. Meadowhawk whipped his appendages as he dodged the blows of the creature. Each hit twisted it like breath twists a puff of smoke. He had never used void as a weapon before, as Darner had never taught him how. How did he have this much control? At last, the abyssal incarnate relented. “Fine. I shall leave for now, but I shall return, stronger than you could ever hope or dreams. Mind and shell can be pierced by void.” It then burst into many separate shades. One of these vessels stood out from the rest. Had it achieved becoming a void entity like he had? And the mask... he had seen it before. Was this... the vessel that had accomplished the restoration of hallownest? They looked eachother in the glowing eyes. It seemed to communicate to him that it was not them that had attempted to consume him. That they had no control over the lord of shade. How did they do this without words? The y faded away as Meadowhawk awoke to the abandoned shells of the other vessels. Beside him was the hollow knight, once again. “Why did you come down here?” The pure vessel asked Meadowhawk as he scrabbled around for the charm that had adorned his mask, which he had dropped. “I-I’m sorry. I woke up and was angry at your father for doing this and at Darner for allowing it. I don’t know what I wanted, I just had the urge to come here.” The smaller vessel replied, his hand clasping on something else he found. It was the flowers, still intact. “It’s okay. I know it was horrible and I felt angry too but... we should forgive this. I understand how you feel, I felt that way too. That’s one of the consequences of being impure.” The tall vessel replied. “Thank you. Have this.” Meadowhawk said, handing the hollow knight one of the flowers from his bouquet. “Let’s go deliver the rest of these”


	19. Chapter 19

A tear fell to the barren sands as darner clenched his nail tightly. It was time. Quickly, he flew over the gate and onto the ground behind it. Guards wandered the palace grounds. Darner dodged and rolled his way to the entrance. He opened the heavy doors and allowed them to slam shut behind him. All around the foyer were guards on duty, ready to strike. Darner darted around the room, occasionally striking. When an opening showed itself, darner snatched it up and ran down the corridors as fast as his thin dragonfly legs could carry him. Why was this place laid out so confusingly? Doors and hallways melded together in a big blur. The doorways that led to the throne room came into view. In front of it were two guards standing watch. Darner dashed at them and hit them over the head. He rushed to the door, confident. He had held his own against enraged gods. One who was on his level was not a challenge. The doors burst open with a fury as darner stamped in, stopping in the door frame. Across the room was lightbringer, the king of this horrid land. The one who created this suffering. Below his throne stood the pale king, wounded from torture for rivalling this tyrant. He was bound in place by nails fastening him in place by his shell and flesh. Above him stood a hooded bug holding a sharp nail that looked to cause immense pain. It was aimed to deliver a lethal blow. They anticipated his arrival. “You see, we were going to keep your precious king locked up just to make sure he doesn’t get a chance to reincarnate on us, but now that you’re here, we might as well execute him.” Lightbringer said. “You see, that guard you decided to meddle with told me all about you. I had a special serratun made for this occasion and everything.” Darner was locked in a stalemate fuled by his own loyalty. Strike and the hostage will perish. Was he going to fail again at the goal he promised? They knew if he did he would not have the strength to kill them. They had him powerless in the palm of their hand. Darner started to feel weak, as his eyes glazed over and his body felt limp. Heat rushed over his insect body and finally, at once, he collapsed to the floor.

Darner was completely out, unable to see or hear what was in his mind. His head was blank as the void. “He fainted. You trusted him and this is what he does. I guess your kings saviour is a dud. Are you going to have another failure come rescue him?” Said herrah. “He needs our help. Don’t underestimate the power of wyrms and, more importantly, the strength of kinships bonds.” Said dryya. “If wyrms are oh so powerful, why are they going extinct? Why did they run hallownest into the ground and send us to our graves? They both fell last time and left us all to suffer. Why would they bring us anything good?” Replied herrah. “Have you seen the power of the ancients, their shells littered all around hallownest? Have you seen the might they left behind for our diminutive forms? He has that power within him and it’s up to us to bring it out. What we have lost is sealed within him alongside what has been gained. He needs us. So let us help him in his goal.” Said Monomon. They then began to focus soul. Darner began to swirl as his form began to fade into something new. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do but it’s not going to work. He’s just another casualty. Accept that.” Said herrah. “Or is he?” Whispered Isma. 

Darner didn’t know where he was. His body felt weird and squishy like a fluke yet powerful like a warrior. He could feel enormous pressure above him and a soft powder surrounding him. His legs felt absent from his body. “What happened... where am I... how long has it been...” he barely had time to realize that he could be too late because his attention was drawn to how it felt when he spoke. When the words came out, he couldn’t feel his mouth open when he spoke and his crown seemed to vibrate. The voice he spoke with was deep and strong, but was muffled somewhat. He attempted to open his eyes but nothing happened. Was he blinded? The lost guard decided to go into a deep focus. All of a sudden a strange feeling came into him like some sort of sense that he didn’t have before. The space he was in became visible to him. At first it appeared to be noise, but then darner realized it was earth. He wondered for a bit where he had ended up before it came to him. This was his birthplace. He was his birthplace. An archaic beast long extinct had been reawakened as the being it had evolved to. He had become the ghost of his past life.

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Hallownest in the darkness was mystifying and wondrous. All the lumaflies sealed within the lanterns had covers placed over them at dusk, save for the ones on well trod roads. Monomon had engineered a system that would cover them at dusk. Their footsteps sounded all around them as they travelled all over to finish what they started off in the nearby ancient basin, leaving one nearby the spot where an infected vessel laid before it was achieved peace. Meadowhawk remembered them, a tall vessel with an asymmetrical mask. Next they headed to ismas grove, where the knight had fearlessly perished. She was overgrown with plants and her mask was stained with tears, suggesting a pain that her eternal rest could quench. They travelled all around the darkness of nighttime hallownest, staying on the paths. They went from jonis repose to teachers archives to the watchers tower to the spirits glade, leaving these flowers on the ground to pay respects to those who had felled in times of plague. The late hours fed into the early moments and their supple supply ran dry. At last, they parted ways. Meadowhawk went back to darners old home and hopped into the bed. Vessels didn’t need sleep, but it still felt good for him to experience. The hours rolled on as he slept peacefully, until he was woken suddenly by someone else rocking him back and forth. Meadowhawk opened his eyes to see his best friend, String, at his bedside. “Come quick. One of the vessels is gone and I think darner and the king are in danger.”


	20. Chapter 20

The ground shook with tremors before erupting with a ghostly figure, gray and purple. All the bugs in the room went crazy as the massive wyrm caused destruction, tearing through the infrastructure like it was nothing. He grasped lightbringer with his massive maw before slamming him into a wall. He then poked his tail out from under the floor and began to smash the room with it. The nearby rooms began to combine with the throne room to form a big, ruined chamber. Rubble fell to the wayside as a cacophony of screams rang out across the hall. Darner released himself from this new form in an explosion of soul and fell to the ground in a flutter. Darner slashed at the guards and the executioner. He leapt to the table situated in the rooms centre. Darner flung the void off his nail at one of the guards, splattering them with abyssal goop, hunkered down and cut all the restraints on the pale king, pulled him off and slung him over his back. He dashed to a wall and lay him there, whispering “it’s okay” to him softly. It was almost automatic. The presence of the pale king was... comforting. Darner zipped away to lightbringer. And began thrashing him. The splashback of void that flung off darners nail as he swung it hit his skin and exoskeleton with a singeing brand. The void hit lightbringer, causing the afflicted areas to become melted and mottled with inky black burns almost as dark as the abyss itself. The hissing and fizzing were loud but could almost be rendered inaudible of the howls of pain let out by the tyrant that stood before him. The moth backed away into a corner as darner considered his next actions. Would he slay the tyrant or would he let him be brought to justice by the people of this kingdom? Darner held his blade poised for an attack. A tear rolled down the cheek of his outraged face. All the sadness, the longing, the fear, the anger, the regret, all of it went over his body wave after wave in a sickening torrent of raw emotion, the epicentre of which was the glinting tip of his blade. His body was the floodgates damming a typhoon of raw emotion. Every fibre of his being was focused on this. All the lost souls he mourned were fuel to the flames of fury deep inside him. He knew taking his anger out on lightbringer wouldn’t bring back those the radiance had destroyed, but it still felt appropriate. He may not have caused him suffering, but he caused just as much to others. Hallownest called out to him, ringing through his mind. Lightbringer to glisten as darner was engulfed in bright light with a tsunami of dreamcatchers. 

Darner was in the middle of the wastelands, once again in the midst of the strange stone dome he had seen in his dream, surrounded on all sides by fallen structures. What was this place? Darner finally entered the dome and ended up inside a hall similar to the one in the black egg, back before sealing the pure vessel. The hall led to a massive room with a glowing pillar in the centre. Darner stepped around to see a door opposite the entranceway. He traipsed up to it. Inside was bare stone chamber. In front of him were the spirits of those he had lost, once again. In their hands was a shield. It had a design not too dissimilar from the pure nail. They bestowed the shield upon darner and laid it in his arms, cold, hard metal that could be felt from within darners core. He thanked them when his attention was drawn to footsteps. They drew closer, echoing through the rocky structure. Darner stepped back out of the room to see lightbringer. Darner flicked his nail and in an instant and held his new shield poised for battle. Lightbringer snapped his fingers and, in an instant, a nail and a shield appeared in his arms. Darner began with a jump slash, which lightbringer parried and retaliated with a great slash. Darner ducked out of the way and gave the moth a swift kick before alighting and slashing from the air. The despot soon joined the dragonfly in and they engaged in arial combat. Darner zipped around quick enough to give the illusion that the wyrm had somehow created clones of himself. The tyrant repeatedly jabbed at thin air before stabbing once again, but keeping the blade extended. Darner crashed into the nail. The purple king followed this up with a heavy slash into the wall. Darner got right back up again. Lightbringer let out a cackle as he summoned several spears of light and sent them careening in the guards direction. He blocked them with his shield and used his vengeful spirit ability to send a burst of soul at the moth. It hit him square on. Lightbringer followed this up with a glowing yellow ball of energy that curved around darner at weird angles before hitting its target. Darner landed on the ground softly and went underneath lightbringer to hit him with a howling wraith spell. He spiralled around towards the ground after being hit and landed lightly on his feet. “You squirming little idiot. Buzz off and pester some other kingdom. Your home is irreparably destroyed. What good would fruitlessly trying to fix it do? Just leave your master and find another place. Why must you insist on being a meagre minion of someone else.” Lightbringer said. “No! His soul guided me here. The blood of kin is stronger than whatever you can throw at me.” Darner said. “Oh! Would you stop it with that hippie-dippie nonsense. This isn’t some children’s story. The power of friendship or love or whatever is not going to save you.” Replied lightbringer. “Hallownest is not dead. Can the dead rebuild themselves?” Retorted darner. Lightbringer then held his arms up and sent a massive beam of energy right at darner. He tried to block it with his shield, only for it to shatter, much to his dismay. It hurt, the burning sensation of the light. Was this finality? Had he met his end? Darners confidence continued within him, burning brightly. This was no worse than anything else he had gone through. He could make it. The light relented as darner stood there, much to lightbringers chagrin. Broken nail and ruined shield contrasted with the determination he exuded. Behind him was once again the spirits. The great knights, the dreamers, the vessels, and standing behind him was the pale king, alongside the tall vessel he had met earlier. Streaks of white flowed to his shield and blade, compelling them to take on entirely new forms. They were restored. The shield now glowed with patterns and designs, chief among which was what appeared to be a seal of binding. “Seal the tyrant within the dream realm, bound to the shield.” The massive vessel spoke to darner. The pale king sent a blast of soul at lightbringer, causing him to topple to his knees. Darner approached and readied his nail before striking with a blow that he put all his mind and heart in to. Time almost appeared to slow down as the blade was traced by a white tail that swirled and rippled through the air. The shield began to glow so amazingly bright as he pushed onwards.   
The light glowed with a pulsating energy as It grew almost painfully bright.  
The light finally grew so bright all Darner could see was blackness. Either that or he had gone blind.  
Or he had woken up.   
Darner opened his eyes. He was alone in the room, aside from the pale king, who had seemingly once again gone unconscious. Laying beside him was a metal shield with intruder designs, including the kings brand and the marks of the dreamers and the great knights. In the centere was The room around him shook as the ceiling of the throne room met the floor, piece by piece.   
The whole palace was collapsing.  
And he was at the epicentre of it. 

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Meadowhawk shot up in his bed. “W-what do you mean?” He asked, worriedly. “I’ll explain on the way there. She found out which way darner went and went running that way. We need to go, now. “ string said, flustered and hurried. They rushed out of the room and tried to find out how to discover which way she went. They ran through hallownest to try and find a way to find out where she went when string realized something, stopping in his tracks with a gasp. “I-I think she went towards crestmound!” String exclaimed. “Cr-crestmound? What’s that?” Meadowhawk asked. “I’ll explain later, just follow me. We need to go FAST. We don’t have much time.” Said string. Quickly, they jotted down a note explaining their absence and headed southeast from hallownests crown, as fast as their little vessel legs could carry them.


	21. Chapter 21

Darner ran through the corridors. He tried to help out as many of the guards as he could. He dodged and weaved through the labyrinth of hallways. His mind was once again abuzz. Sometimes he had thought that hallownest wasn’t worth saving. That he should let it rot and seek a better life elsewhere. That he had been told before he was a tool. A slave. But he knew better. There was a greater meaning to all of this. He had travelled across vast landscapes. He had seen things he never had seen. Guided by a strange sense to the one that would bring order. This was his part in bringing hallownest together again. The chaotic harmony of soul and essence and lifeblood and void and everything in between all intertwined to form the things he had always known. A cycle of life and death. The foundation crumbled from underneath his feet as he ran towards the exit when he heard voices from a corridor. He doubled back on himself and summoned the courage do kick down that door and save all the guards trapped in this collapsing palace. He burst open the doors to a chamber to see a bunch of royal guards. Most of them were wearing armour save for one, who was instead decked out in a cerulean cap and robes, seemingly signifying them as the head guard of crestmound. The executioner darner had seen in the throne room was also at the back of the room, their mask taken off to reveal a scared face underneath that didn’t seem to have been made any more relieved by darners sudden appearance. Darner hurried out all the guards as the head guard stopped in the doorway. “You’re a fellow head guard from another kingdom, aren’t you? Thanks for lending me your appearance. The names krenuth, by the way.” Said the cobalt robed bug. Darner wore a confused look on his face as he tried to understand what was just said to him. How did this bug know who he was? What did he mean by “lending him his appearance?” The bug had seemingly caught on to darners look of bewilderment. “You didn’t hear about what lightbringer was doing? You should ask that vessel, the one with the blue hat, I believe. As you can no doubt see I have no time to explain all that.” He explained. “For now, I’ll just be glad that you’re not mad at me.” Darner replied. Krenuth let out a laugh before putting his hand on darners shoulder. “It’s okay. He couldn’t keep a guard for very long without sentencing them to death or imprisonment. The tension was quite thick.” Lightbringers guard said. He quickly made his way out the door to the room they were cowering in whilst darner made his way to the iridescent beetle who was the executioner cowering in the corner. Darner knelt down beside him as he looked fearfully in his direction. “I-I can’t be forgiven for my sins. I have no excuse for what I have done. Following orders won’t cut it.” The beetle said, shakily. Darner took the bugs hand and looked him in the eye, saying “We’ve done bad things we’re ashamed of too. Back in hallownest many regrettable things were done because they needed to be done. But it’s over. The ones who made us do those things are gone and we can move past them and look to the future.” The two got up and left the empty room behind and met up with the others waiting outside. Together, off they went to search for others trapped in the rubble. Darner used his blade and shield to block the collapsing bits and pieces of the castle and blasted away heaps of debris with his soul abilities. He leapt over holes and flew up to ledges rendered inaccessible due to blockage or collapse. Doors slammed open as darner bust in to collect the bugs inside. Floors were ascended before promptly being descended as the ceiling came to meet the ground and all parts of the structure fell to the wayside. Finally, after they had all been gathered up into a large crowd, darner started to make his way toward the final floor, the basement. He ran to the blocked off stairwell and nudged the pale kings limp body out of the way as he braced for the impact of a desolate dive. He slid down the stairs shakily, unable to use his wings. Downstairs we’re guards in a frantic panic. “The foundation is collapsing. Come with me. We will make it out together.” he said. _ either that or we die together._ He caught a glimpse of the torture chambers entrance on his way but elected not to inspect it and instead press on. darner ascended the stairs to find the entrance blocked by debris. He let out a howl augmented by soul, transforming it into the howling wraiths spell. The rocks blasted out of a way. Darner ran through the halls toward the exit with the last remaining subjects left inside. Just then, the top floor collapsed onto the bottom. “Looks like it’ll be the latter.” Darner said. Just then, the rubble shook and out burst lacewing, decked from head to toe in armour and equipped with a long, thin serratun. She slashed away the rubble with unseen skill and precision. Deflected with the shield and slashed with the newly powered up nail. The doorway drew closer and closer as he ran and ran alongside lacewing. The wood snapped as the door frame was crushed. Lacewing dashed into place to hold it up so they could get out of the soon to be pile of rubble. Darner stepped out into the cavernous air as lacewing allowed the last of the guards out and allowed the door to come crashing down.  
Quite a crowd had gathered outside. Darner stepped through the gates triumphantly, the pale king draped across his back. Lacewing hid a snicker. Quietly, she whispered “that’s him? That frail little thing!”. The boldness she had to laugh at the pale king himself. Darner lay him on the ground and began to focus soul. The warmth of several strange presences. Darner had liked to have believed that it was the spirits of the fallen knights and the other denizens of hallownest that had succumbed. That the words of dryya were true. That they had meant something instead of just being some twisted dream. He wanted closure.  
But none of that mattered now.   
His eyes were sealed tightly.  
He felt the soul drain from the world around him as he channeled it into healing his lord. Finally, he felt that it was complete and so he knelt down to assist the pale wyrm. The kings eyes opened gently as darner laid his hand on him and offered to assist him. The two of them stood up together, triumphantly. “So who’s going to be the king now that Lightbringer is gone?” Asked one bug. “I say Darner. I hear he’s a rare and powerful wyrm. And he’s also the one who took down Lightbringer.” Said another. “I need to return to Hallownest.” Said Darner. “Well then make a choice. You are representing royalty.” Said the same bug. Darner thought for a moment before speaking up again. “ I have come to a decision. now, I want to make the king, or the queen rather, Lacewing. You have shown bravery and strength and kindness. I would have never completed this journey if it weren’t for you. You entangled yourself in the fate of another land and my gratitude is eternal. Thank you.” Said Darner. He then got down on one knee and bowed, a gesture reserved only for his superiors. It was settled. Lacewing seemed astonished at his gesture. Bugs began to crowd around her as they bowed down to their new monarch. Darner and the pale king said their final goodbyes and at once, prepared to at last make the journey home. 

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The pair ran against the pounding sands, uncaring about the pain of the winds coming at them. It was made easier by the fact that vessels didn’t need to breathe or eat, so their trip through the desolate lands was easier. “What happened?” Meadowhawk hurriedly asked. “Well, I was visited by this moth named dupon. He came and told me all about how his kingdom was taken over by a wyrm and a dragonfly, who had enslaved a bunch of vessels. We travelled there to discover that it was actually a vessel and a royal guard from another kingdom in disguise and they were being controlled by a moth named lightbringer who ruled over a kingdom known as crestmound. Thicket was one of the vessels that was enslaved and was experimented on and abused. She doesn’t seem to be all there for some reason, only partially because of the trauma. She doesn’t seem to understand whatever I try to tell her.” String explained. In the distance an abandoned outpost drew near. Thicket would probably be hiding out here in wait for the wyrms. All that Meadowhawk and string would need to do would be to wait alongside her without her knowing.


	22. Chapter 22

After saying their final goodbyes and seeing the kingdom for the final time, they headed off. The pair walked for hours across dust and gravel. Darner recounted how the kingdom was after his departure. “The root is alive and well. The great knights, however, are a different story. Isma, dryya and ze’mer perished and hegamol left the kingdom, leaving orgrim as the last surviving member of the great knights.” Darner explained to the king, who was shocked at the news that orgrim was the last remaining of the elite guard. Darner explained about his life in the infected hallownest and about the defeat of the radiance. After a long while of walking and talking, they reached an old outpost that had not seen visitors for many, many years. Darner and the king were tired and hungry. They found a place to stay the night and rest and settled down. Darner left their campsite to search for food while the pale wyrm awaited his return. The dragonfly hunted and caught several small bugs hiding out around the gloomy, wretched ruins and brought them back to be roasted over an open fire. “Trust me. I know it’s not the most gourmet food you’ll have ever eaten but what matters most is you get energy to make it across this unforgiving dystopia.” Darner told the pale king as he hesitated to eat what darner had set out. Once they had finished, they settled down for the nights. Darner slept around watch on a bench outside the broken building while the pale king was safe inside. 

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The pale king slept in a ratty old cot. it wasnt a good sleep by any means, but it beat out the cold floor of lightbringers dungeon on the rare occasion the despot forgot to apply the mask that he would put on the kings face that pried his eyes open and prevented him from falling to sleep. thicket walked slowly past darner, unaware of her persuers. she crept through a shattered window. tailing behind were bramble and grotto, her young weavers that she took under her wing. she poised her blade to strike when a buzzing reverberated through her ear. the moment she was distracted, something came barreling into her. a crash broke the overbearing silence as the pale king bolted upright and darner rushed into the room. in the corner appeared to be two large objects rolling around. darner crept closer to see... meadowhawk? he was struggling with another vessel for control of a nail. "meadowhawk!?!? what are you doing here? and who is this vessel? darner loudly exclaimed. beside the pair was asper and the 2 weavers, mirroring the situation rather faithfully. "listen. i can explain" said string, who had just crawled in through the same entrance. "there was this kingdom of moths, lepyrdyr. this one purple moth, named lightbringer, managed to enslave multiple vessels and execute a bloody takeover of the kingdom, using one of his best men along with a vessel. the leaders of this operation were disguised as the king and darner. i managed to free them." darner looked back at the pale wyrm. "lightbringer...? wasnt that the moth that we faced...?" the king spoke. "did... did his influence strech further than we thought...?" darner replied, eqally as puzzled. "i-i think i remember mention of a vessel" the pale king said back. meadowhawk and thicket got up, still struggling. "you disgusting creatures. do you know what you have done? or can you not understand it?" thicket said, emotionally. she raised her arm and readied herself before attempting to hit the pale king. darner caught her by the wrist mid swing and threw her towards a wall. "i wont bore you with the details of how exceptionally stupid that was." He said. string drew closer to the pale king, having a moment. his look communicated unsureness. the pale lord knelt down in front of the vessel and laid his hand on the vessels shoulder before pulling him into a warm embrace for a tender moment together. "i apologize for what i hast done, yet it needed to be done. prithee forgive me. yet wot, mine child, that i love thou, as i doth every one of thou, mine son, and now that it is over, i shall cherish thou all like thou hast so sorely deserved for so long. " he said to the child of void. thicket picked herself up and dusted herself off. "y-you disgust me, you creep. yyyyour tactics are-re re...revolting..." she said before trailing off and collapsing onto the floor, hand clutching her mask. "purple... bug... free... escape... slaughter... plague... darkness... moth... golden... light... unbound..." she stuttered incoherently. 

In the morning, the four made their way out of the town towards hallownest. For most of the journey they conversed and trekked for hours on end towards their home once again. However, their largely uneventful walk was interrupted by darner stopping in his tracks after receiving what felt to be a shock. His head began to swim and the world around him began to blur as he could hear strange sounds surrounding him. The pulsating and oozing of infection pounded at his eardrums as shapes and faces flitted in and out of view, swirling and spiralling around him and melding together into a homogeneous blob. Figures surrounded him as he began to become unable to distinguish which ones were figments of his mind. Then the voices began. A million whispers. “What a nice reality. If only it were the truth... you’ll never be fixed... it’s your fault...” they whispered as darner anguished. Was any of this real? The world around him began to morph into different places. first it transformed into the barren sands, none but himself walking it. Then, it became an empty cave, the walls covered in the scrawlings of a madman. The scene continued to shift, from the throne room on that fateful day to the ruined barracks to the overrun capital city to the resting grounds and many places in between. Darner fell to his knees as the wastelands once again came into view. There was a wall of pure essence between darner and the others, with a dome keeping them all in place. And in the middle of the ring was darners worst nightmare, or rather, his worst dream.

It was lightbringer. And standing alongside him was his goddess herself, the radiance


	23. Chapter 23

“So, you thought you and your scum of the earth brethren were safe? Well, you would be, had it not been for that vile little demon child- I mean vessel- subduing the wretched lord of shades and allowing the grace of the radiance to shine once again. Now, we shall destroy you and your unholy abominations.” Lightbringer sneered. The moth snapped his fingers and glowing yellow bindings appeared around darner, restraining him. He then drew closer. “Please excuse all the theatrics, but I cannot allow the glorious expressions of terror and defeat escape me. I shall relish every moment of your suffering.” The banished king said, grabbing darner by the chin. “You will be the first to go. You see, we have a history together. Many years ago, when I was a mere larva, I lived on the outskirts of hallownest. One day, my parents were eaten by a monstrous wyrm in a lake near hallownest. I found salvation in the radiance and from that day onwards it was my goal to serve the goddess and eradicate filth like you. What a coincidence, then, that you were actually that foul beast. It sickens me when disgusting, putrid, scoundrels like you triumph over the divine forces of honour and justice.” Said lightbringer, kicking darner back into the wall of light. The energy caused an immense shock to run through his body. The purple tyrant walked toward the radiance. He said “I will mercifully give you the chance to struggle. What would virtuous idols such as I be without being fair and compassionate, and besides, I enjoy watching you squirm. It is a joy so pure.” He said, freeing darner with a flick of his wrist. The dragonfly slumped onto the ground. How would he get out? “Now, the radiant goddess and I are going to combine our awesome powers into one. Now make it snappy, I’ve got kingdoms to punish.” Lightbringer finally said, holding his arms out while standing in front of the radiance. They both began to glow brightly as they disintegrated into sparkling dust. It swirled around as a silhouette began to become clearer and clearer in the eye of the golden storm. Finally, it faded as their new form was revealed. It was a yellow with massive wings, electric blue mandibles, bright pink spikes crowning its head and black fur running along its back. Darner got himself up off the ground. He had to do this. He leapt up into the air and began flying back and forth. He dashed and struck, dashed and struck, but it barely seemed to have an effect on the creature. It blasted back with beams and blades. Darner felt like he had more than met his match. He dashed towards the wall of energy and slashed at it. The beast laughed sinisterly as darner turned around and attempted to block the beings attacks, but the impact was negligible. Darner kept going at it as long as he could. He fluttered to the ground to rest, looking back at the others. They all wore fearful looks on their faces that gave Darner stabs of pain. He glanced back at the enemy as he wondered what more he could do?

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Thicket began to quiver violently as she looked on at the horrific scene in front of her. She could barely think, her half formed mind clogged with racing thoughts. She could feel the wound on her head behind the bandage she kept wrapped around it begin to throb harshly. Out of options, she began to tug at the bandages, exposing the deep gash, filled with void. It began to ooze as her head began to burn violently. Her eyes glazed over as tendrils bust out from the crevice in her shell.

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A snapping noise echoed through the void followed by loud cracking and squelching. Darner turned around to see tentacles bursting from within the assassin vessels face. The pale king, string and Meadowhawk backed away as the abyssal limbs squirmed around. They lurched for the wall of essence and began to smother and beat on it, shattering it. They then went straight for the golden deity, but it shot the murky darkness with a ray of light, causing it to retract back into the vessel, who fell to the ground. String took the opportunity to toss his bladed hat at the moth god, allowing darner and Meadowhawk to go in for a few more slashes. The pale king then readied himself before unleashing the wyrmsoul, transforming him into an archaic beast of his own. The wyrm charged and burrowed and bashed and slammed the moth god. After dealing a powerful blow, he relinquished his form with a massive burst of soul. The four erratically dodged as they furiously unleashed their various attacks. Even the pale king, who Darner had previously assumed had no combat prowess, was using the most skillful and precise spells that the world had ever seen. There had never been a better spellcaster than his glorious king, Darner thought. As they slashed and ducked and weaved, slashing and dashing along with his little vessel as the pale king and string manipulated soul to strike the being. All so suddenly, the sands began to quiver as they shone with bright white light. Darner looked off on the horizon to see hundreds, if not thousands, of pale, translucent bugs. There were bugs of all shapes and sizes and ages. Some darner could recognize from the crowd, others he couldn’t. In the wyrms midst, surrounding the battlefield, was many, many phantom figures standing in the crisp, sour air of the wastes. All the insects that had passed away had returned as their souls faded into a white mist that curled around them. The clouds in the sky cleared to reveal a pale white moon the colour of soul that cast light which reflected off every last grain of dust. The combined light of all the lost lives, each distinct in their own way, quickly outshone both the ivory mirror that was the lunar majesty as well as both the pale king and the radiant being. The mist descended as it began to coil and curl itself around the golden god like the roots of a plant through rock and soil. The group broke their transfixed gazes as the amalgamation god let out a shrill shriek that rippled through the gaseous form that caused only slight waves before continuing to caress the creatures body. The moth monster than screeched “I shall consume a feast of souls to regain the power you took. Soul and blood shall leak across these barren wastes, mark my words.” The quartet continued to strike the radiant bug as it slowly had the whispy vines entangle it’s body. Eventually, the fog began to cloud around the moth as it fell to the ground, drained and restrained. Darner drew closer and began to slash it from every angle he could before whipping around to its front and driving his nail into its head, burying it below flesh and tissue. It reared it’s head up and began to madly screech as soul flowed into the sword like lightning from a swarm of charged lumaflies. Dreamcatchers and sparks began to spew from the head into the blade as darners arm began to glow. He could feel it vibrating violently like he was being struck by electricity. What little organic matter inside the being began to ooze out across the sands as both goddesses began to fade. The beast began to flop around madly as the designs on darners shield began to illuminate brightly. The dreamers and great knights once appeared before them alongside their emblems that glinted with soul as a seal of binding appeared in front of darners void nail. They were binding it to the seal as they had done with his shield. Then, for a brief moment, the emblem of the massive vessel flashed in front of them before a bright whiteness enveloped them. Darner awoke laying on the sand, as if nothing had happened. At first he began to assume it was all some crazy dream, but he pulled out his nail to witness it having once again taken on a brand new form. At once, they got up, gathered their bearings and set off.


	24. Chapter 24

The great walls of hallownest loomed over the 5 bugs like a massive beast. Here, the wastelands ended and gave way to a land of bountiful beauty and wonder. They ascended the wall up to hallownest peak and then descended once again into the town of dirtmouth. There were few bugs residing there in that moment, but upon witnessing the group making their way back into town were absolutely flabbergasted to finally witness their ruler returning. They waltzed in to the centre of town to see orgrim and the queen standing there, conversing. Orgrim didn’t notice them at first but once he realized who it was that stood before him, his look changed to amazement. At first, the white lady struggled to understand his change in demeanour but once she turned around and saw them, she broke off and ran for her king. “Ooooh. How I’ve missed you for so long” she said while pulling him into a warm embrace. “What happened to you? You poor thing. I’m sorry” she whispered while holding him in her arms tightly. Meadowhawk went up to darner and held him tightly. String decided to join in, clutching his best friend tightly. Orgrim and thicket and the pure vessel gathered around too as the king and queen and darner and the vessels released each other from their grasps and inquired with darner and the pale king about what had happened on their long, tireless journey. 

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Darner arose from his cushy bed. The blankets enveloped him like a cocoon protecting a creature, preparing it to metamorphosize. He clambered out like a young bug hatching from its egg, ready to live it’s life. A creak sounded as he opened the door to his room. Meadowhawk was already awake and was sat at the kitchen table eating his breakfast. On the stovetop was darners favourite breakfast. “I’m just going to go out for a quick walk I’ll be back in a little bit.” darner said to his resident vessel. It smiled and nodded knowingfully. The front door opened and darner stepped out into the cool, wet air of the rainy city. Outside there were two winged guards, sitting while chatting away and laughing happily. They gave a quick wave before going back to their prior activities. Through the stone streets darner walked, occasionally passing a few bugs enjoying their day. Despite rainy weather bringing ones emotions to a crawl, it felt wonderful and joyous to be back. He stopped at the town square to admire the statue. They had taken down the old one with the dreamers and had replaced it with a monument to all the vessels that had been sacrificed. The inscription now read “don’t remember your losses as a failure, but regard them as successes for what you had done to get there.” Up above in the resting grounds, the masks of many vessels collected from around hallownest and from deep in the abyss were buried there. He walked towards the elevator that led to the royal waterways and the ancient basin. he was hoping to see orgrim on his way down. He entered the lift station and was greeted by two more guards. The moment they laid eyes on darner they made a hurried attempt at looking busy. Darner let out a chuckle at them and they relaxed and went back to what they were doing before. The lever clicked as darner pulled it and the lift began its clanky descent. The royal waterways passed him by. Orgrim had a bunch of flowers of varying colours, some of which were the kind that had belonged to ze’mer. The flowers he had were going to be planted in ismas grove in memory of their bond. Her passing had taken a toll on him. Orgrim saw darner and he smiled and waved at him. He made his way to the new white palace being constructed and greeted the builders cheerfully. Darner stopped shortly to converse before making his way back home. 

Darner opened the door back to his house at the barracks. Down he sat at the table with the dish Meadowhawk had prepared for him. “So, I have a few days off after my travels. What would you like to do today?” Darner asked his vessel. “Maybe we could find some big crystals at crystal peak and then go to paintmaster sheos to make them into sculptures.” Meadowhawk suggested. Darner nodded. “Sure. That sounds like fun.” He was ready for a day of fun with the ones he loved. A new era for hallownest was beginning, a new page in the story that was his life, and he hoped it would never end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe that it is finally over. It feels so bittersweet, to be honest. All that I’ve gone through, all the friends I've lost and gained. There’s so much that’s been going on behind the scenes. I feel so proud to have finally finished working tirelessly on, but I’ll miss the feelings this story gave me. It may not be the best, it may not even be very good at all, but it’s my special project and I’m so happy to get to share it with the world. I’d like to thank the people at HKML, especially string, carrot, deus, davey, robin and rebel for your never ending support. It means a lot to me. As you’ve probably already noticed I’ve peppered in your OCs as a way to say thanks. Thank you all for reading my fic. I know it probably wasn’t very good but I liked it and I hope you did too. Be prepared for more of darner in the future as I plan to expand on the kinseeker side stories and I have a big surprise planned for later. Hopefully I can keep in touch with some other great creators so we can collaborate, too. Thank you once again for reading and goodbye for now.


End file.
